Module 7: Assignment Discussion Clinical Testing in Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease or Kidney Disease

For this week’s discussion post, please look into one of the clinical diagnostic tests discussed this week (perhaps random selection is best so we get a good variety) and describe briefly the strategy used in a commercially available assay in terms of best specimen, antibodies or enzyme used, and reference values and cut-off point if applicable. Then tell us one new thing you learned while researching your test, whether it was in the lectures, the text book or an additional source. It needn’t necessarily be a technical aspect, it could be more general, e.g.: disease related or even an overlap from one disease type to another in terms of looking at that analyte, or other consideration that go into the type of test used. Don’t forget to use proper citations, and also please remember to comment on one of your classmates posts as well.

Tests discussed this week include:

1. Capillary blood glucose (CPG)
2. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
3. Cardiac troponin (cTnI)
4. Natriuretic peptides (BNP or NT-proBNP)
5. Creatinine
6. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
7. Albuminuria (ACR, albumin-to-Creatinine ratio)