BACKGROUND: In vitro detection of the allergen-specific IgE antibody (sIgE) is a useful tool for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. Although multiple simultaneous allergen tests offer simple and low-cost screening methods, these platforms also have limitations with respect to multiplexibility and analytical performance. As an alternative assay platform, we developed and validated a microarray using allergen extracts that we termed “GOLD” chip. METHODS: Serum samples of 150 allergic rhinitis patients were used in the study, and the diagnostic performance of the microarray was compared with that of AdvanSure (LG Life Sciences, Daejun, Korea) and ImmunoCAP (Phadia, Uppsala, Sweden). Standard IgE samples were used for the quantitative measurement of sIgEs. RESULTS: The microarray-based assay showed excellent performance in the quantitative measurement of sIgEs, demonstrating a linear correlation within the range of sIgE concentrations tested. The limit of detection (LOD) was lower than 0.35 IU/mL, which is the current standard for the LOD cut-off. The assay also provided highly reproducible sets of data. The total agreement percentage of positive and negative calls was 92.2% compared with ImmunoCAP. Moreover, an outstanding correlation was observed between the microarray and the ImmunoCAP results, with Cohen's kappa and Pearson correlation coefficient values of 0.80 and 0.79, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The microarray-based in vitro diagnostic platform offers a sensitive, reproducible, and highly quantitative method to detect sIgEs. The results showed strong correlations with that of ImmunoCAP. These results suggest that the new allergen microarray can serve as a useful alternative to current screening platforms, ultimately becoming a first-line screening method.
Biological Science Disciplines ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Immunoglobulin E ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Limit of Detection ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Rhinitis, Allergic

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases in which misfolding of extracellular proteins is the pathogenic factor. Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is the most common form of amyloidosis, and the causative proteins in AL are the immunoglobulin light chains produced by clonal plasma cells. Hemorrhagic events, ranging from mild subcutaneous hemorrhage to life-threatening bleeding, account for a significant proportion of morbidities and mortality in AL patients. Deficiency of factor X from deposition into amyloid fibrils has been reported to be the most common acquired factor deficiency in AL. We herein report 2 patients with acquired factor X deficiency in AL. A 55-yr-old woman with AL had a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of 2.51 International Normalized Ratio (INR) and 75.1 sec, respectively, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was markedly decreased at 5%. The other patient was a 67-yr-old man with AL with a PT of 1.63 INR and an aPTT of 50.3 sec, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was decreased at 17%. Neither of the patients had apparent hemorrhagic manifestations. Identification of acquired factor deficiency and timely coagulation tests are needed in the diagnostic workup and management in AL.
Aged ; Amyloidosis/*complications ; Factor X/*metabolism ; Factor X Deficiency/*diagnosis/etiology/therapy ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains/*metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Transplantation, Autologous

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases in which misfolding of extracellular proteins is the pathogenic factor. Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is the most common form of amyloidosis, and the causative proteins in AL are the immunoglobulin light chains produced by clonal plasma cells. Hemorrhagic events, ranging from mild subcutaneous hemorrhage to life-threatening bleeding, account for a significant proportion of morbidities and mortality in AL patients. Deficiency of factor X from deposition into amyloid fibrils has been reported to be the most common acquired factor deficiency in AL. We herein report 2 patients with acquired factor X deficiency in AL. A 55-yr-old woman with AL had a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of 2.51 International Normalized Ratio (INR) and 75.1 sec, respectively, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was markedly decreased at 5%. The other patient was a 67-yr-old man with AL with a PT of 1.63 INR and an aPTT of 50.3 sec, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was decreased at 17%. Neither of the patients had apparent hemorrhagic manifestations. Identification of acquired factor deficiency and timely coagulation tests are needed in the diagnostic workup and management in AL.
Aged ; Amyloidosis/*complications ; Factor X/*metabolism ; Factor X Deficiency/*diagnosis/etiology/therapy ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains/*metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Transplantation, Autologous

Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast and its subtype, basal-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) phenotype, are very rare. Herein, we report a patient who developed recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the breast with basal-HER2 subtype 6 years after the initial diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma of the HER2 subtype. To the best of our knowledge, recurrence of invasive ductal carcinoma in the form of metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma of basal-HER2 subtype has not been reported previously. We present a pathological perspective of our experience.
Breast ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Pathology ; Phenotype ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Recurrence