Post by kickingfrog on Feb 22, 2013 10:55:16 GMT
A quick, cheap, accurate test for gluten intolerance
Research results: 30/05/2012
Coeliac disease affects millions of people worldwide, but many sufferers are not aware they have the condition or may have been misdiagnosed with other illnesses. A pioneering new test developed with EU-funding should soon be available in hospitals, offering an accurate, quick, cost-effective diagnosis and monitoring solution.
....Current procedures for testing for coeliac disease rely on a doctor performing a biopsy to extract patient tissue that is then sent for analysis, usually to an external specialised lab. The procedure is invasive, usually takes several days to get results and each test costs several hundred euro.
A bleed-to-read solution
The CD-Medics approach addresses all these issues. It requires only one drop of blood placed into a so-called lab-on-a-chip device, which looks like a credit card but incorporates several innovative components: a micro-structured fluidic network allowing for a precisely controlled flow of reagents, a specially adapted surface for capturing the biological components being looked for, and an electrically driven sensor system to enable integrated and extremely fast detection.
The disposable lab-on-a-chip is placed into a biomedical interface instrument and analysis of the blood sample is carried out in a matter of minutes. Results can then be immediately output to the hospital information system and added to the patient's electronic health record (EHR).
'For the first time, we have two microsystems of completely different functionalities - one for DNA typing and the other for the detection of antibodies - and we have designed these microsystems to have a common interface with the instrument so that only one instrument with one slot is required for both microsystems,' Prof O'Sullivan says. 'For diagnosing coeliac patients two tests are necessary as DNA testing - specifically for variants of the HLA gene associated with the disease - or testing for gluten antibodies alone can return false positives. Testing for both means the results are much more accurate.'
Follow up tests to monitor the patient's response to treatment can be carried out in the same way using only the microsystem to detect gluten antibodies. ....
ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/quick-cheap-accurate-test-gluten-intolerance
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...Scope of the Genetic Test
The purpose of this molecular genetic test is to ascertain whether you, or the person being tested, are carrying mutation(s) predisposing to or causing the specific conditions or diseases covered by the test.
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This genetic predisposition report is provided to you for informational and educational purposes, and it does not replace a visit to a doctor, nor does it replace the advice or services of a doctor.
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