{"title":"A Case of Discordant Hepatitis B Core Antibody Results Across Different Immunoassay Platforms in a Chronic HBV Patient.","authors":"Miaomiao Cai, Kejie Xie","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250858","DOIUrl":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250858","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hepatitis B core antibody (Anti-HBc) is an antibody that appears earlier after hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and disappears the latest after recovery of hepatitis B. Detection of anti-HBc can effectively determine the infection status of hepatitis B.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This report describes a rare serological pattern observed in a patient with chronic hepatitis B virus infection during routine testing. The patient had both high positive results for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and e antigen (HBeAg), and a high level of HBV DNA. However, the initial test result of anti-HBc using a Wantai instrument was negative. By using different testing platforms and, combined with the patient's medical history, the cause of the false negative result of anti-HBc test was determined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After thorough examination from multiple aspects and rechecking on multiple platforms, it was found that different manufacturers' immunological detection systems (Wantai, Roche, Abbott) gave inconsistent results. On Wantai, anti-HBc was repeatedly measured as being highly negative, but the re-examination results on Roche and Abbott detection platforms were positive. This case highlights that in a specific immune activation state with high viral load, different detection methods may lead to discrepancies in the interpretation of weakly positive or borderline samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>When the anti-HBc of patients who have been or are currently infected with the hepatitis B virus is negative, laboratory workers and clinical doctors should be aware of this potential analytical discrepancy. We should adopt multiple methods for verification to analyze and review the test results, combined with the patient's clinical case data, in order to avoid incorrect diagnosis and treatment for the patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiahong Chen, Hongtao Jiao, Jing Liu, Mingming Wang, Ning Zhang, Kun Chi, Hui Liu, Jinlian Song, Peng Sun, Yanzhen Wan
{"title":"Association of ABO and RhD Blood Types with Thyroid Abnormalities in Pregnant Women.","authors":"Jiahong Chen, Hongtao Jiao, Jing Liu, Mingming Wang, Ning Zhang, Kun Chi, Hui Liu, Jinlian Song, Peng Sun, Yanzhen Wan","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The associations between the blood group system and various diseases have long been investigated since the discovery of blood group antigens. However, up to now, the relationship of ABO and RhD blood types with thyroid abnormalities in pregnant women has not been reported yet. The present study aims to investigate the association of ABO and RhD blood types with thyroid abnormalities in pregnant women in Qingdao, China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 5,675 pregnant women aged 18 - 50 years old at 7 to 13 weeks of gestation were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. Serum concentrations of free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total T3, total T4, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), thyrotrophin receptor antibody (TRAb), ferritin (FERR), and vitamin B12 were detected, and blood type identification was performed. The association of ABO and RhD blood types with thyroid abnormalities was evaluated by logistic regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pregnant women with blood type A and B had significantly higher concentrations of TSH than women with blood type O, and FERR and B12 levels were remarkably increased in RhD(+) women than in RhD(-) women. Pregnant women with blood type A were less likely to be TRAb(+), and pregnant women with blood type AB were more likely to suffer from clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism, compared with blood type O. In addition, RhD(+) pregnant women had less likelihood to be TRAb(+) in comparison to RhD(-) women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate novel meaningful correlations between ABO and RhD blood types and thyroid disorders in pregnant women, which will offer guidance for better screening and management of thyroid function in pregnant women.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hongyan Zhao, Hui Cheng, Chaofeng Huang, Maowen Huang, Dan Li, Fangchao Mei
{"title":"Increased Blood Urea Nitrogen-To-Creatinine Ratio is an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.","authors":"Hongyan Zhao, Hui Cheng, Chaofeng Huang, Maowen Huang, Dan Li, Fangchao Mei","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250736","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the final phase of chronic kidney disease, characterized by severe renal dysfunction that leads to metabolic disturbances in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr). Currently, the relationship between the BUN/creatinine ratio (BCR) and all-cause mortality in patients with ESRD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of BCR for short-term (60-day) and intermediate-term (365-day) all-cause mortality risk in patients with ESRD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>By using data from the MIMIC-IV database, we included patients with ESRD meeting ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnostic criteria, excluding those aged < 18 years, non-intensive care unit admissions, and those with incomplete information, ultimately enrolling 2,102 patients. The participants were stratified according to the BCR quartiles. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression were used to compare differences in all-cause mortality between the groups. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to examine the dose-response relationship between BCR and all-cause mortality. Subgroup analysis was used to assess result stability, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the predictive performance of BCR versus individual markers (BUN or Scr).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study included 2,102 patients with ESRD. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between BCR and 60- and 365-day all-cause mortality rates. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that each one-unit increase in BCR was associated with a 3% higher risk of 60-day all-cause mortality (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.04) and 365-day all-cause mortality (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.04). The RCS analysis showed a linear relationship between BCR and 60-day all-cause mortality (p-overall < 0.001, p-non-linear = 0.237), whereas a non-linear relationship was observed for 365-day all-cause mortality (p-overall < 0.001, p-non-linear = 0.018). The subgroup analysis revealed no significant interaction effects. ROC analysis indicated the superior predictive performance of BCR compared to BUN or Scr alone.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>BCR serves as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality risk in patients with ESRD and may provide a novel reference index for clinical prognosis assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of Hemolysis, Icterus, and Lipemia Interference in 14 Clinical Chemistry and 5 Immunoassay Parameters.","authors":"Ali V Özdemir, Hatice B Yavuz, Soycan Tüner","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.251023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.251023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Preanalytical interferences caused by hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia (HIL) remain major sources of diagnostic error in clinical laboratories. Manufacturer-declared cutoffs are often based on limited validation data and may not reflect local analytical performance, particularly across heterogeneous assay systems. This study aimed to determine experimentally derived HIL interference thresholds for a broad panel of clinical chemistry and immunoassay tests and to compare them with manufacturer specifications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nineteen routinely used assays (14 clinical chemistry and 5 immunoassays) were evaluated on the Abbott Architect c16000 and Siemens Advia Centaur XP platforms following CLSI EP07-A2 guidelines. Serum pools were spiked with graded levels of hemolysate, conjugated bilirubin, or lipid emulsion. Bias was calculated at each interference level, and thresholds were defined as the point exceeding the lower of the desirable bias or total allow-able error (TEa) limits or the manufacturer's declared cutoff.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Hemolysis produced significant deviations in several assays. Potassium interference began at 0.85 g/L hemoglobin versus the declared 1.25 g/L limit, and HDL-cholesterol exceeded the 5% desirable bias at 2.5 g/L, well below the 7.2 g/L manufacturer threshold. Bilirubin interference affected creatinine and glucose from 124 µmol/L, despite declared limits above 340 µmol/L, consistent with spectral absorption in the Jaffé reaction. Lipemic interference was observed at 2.2 mmol/L for sodium and HDL-cholesterol, nearly fivefold lower than the stated cutoffs. Among immunoassays, ferritin showed a positive bias, TSH a negative shift, and vitamin B12 a bidirectional pattern under hemolytic conditions; fT4 displayed concentration-dependent bias under lipemia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Manufacturer-declared HIL limits may be overly permissive, masking clinically relevant bias. Locally verified thresholds revealed earlier interference onset for several analytes. The immunoassay platform used lacked an automated HIL index analyzer, highlighting the need to integrate such detection systems for optical and matrix-related interference monitoring. Routine local validation and continuous index surveillance are essential to ensure analytical accuracy and patient safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Therapy-Related Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Plasmablastic Morphology after Myeloma: a Pitfall.","authors":"Huimei Ge, Dejun Xiao, Zhiqing Liu, Jing Xu","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250917","DOIUrl":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250917","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Therapy-related acute lymphoblastic leukemia (t-ALL) after multiple myeloma (MM) treatment is a rare complication linked to lenalidomide and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Diagnosing t-ALL vs. MM relapse is challenging when blasts show plasmablastic morphology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An elderly male with IgA-λ MM, previously treated with double ASCT and lenalidomide, presented with fatigue and hematochezia. Pancytopenia was noted. Bone marrow showed 35.0% plasmablastic cells, raising concern for relapse.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Flow cytometry confirmed CD34/TdT/CD19-positive B-ALL, not myeloma. Karyotype was normal; NGS revealed a DNMT3A mutation, typical of therapy-related leukemia. This supported t-B-ALL diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This case highlights a diagnostic pitfall where morphology misleads. Integrated lab analysis - especially flow cytometry - is essential to classify complex malignancies and guide therapy, underscoring therapy-related leukemogenesis in MM survivors.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification of Glycolysis-Related Diagnostic Biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using Machine Learning.","authors":"Ping Ye, Binhan Guo","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250766","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Glycometabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. The identification of reliable biomarkers for ALS diagnosis represents a critical unmet need in clinical practice, as early detection and intervention could significantly improve patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed a comprehensive analytical approach combining two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal relationship between blood glucose levels and ALS. Additionally, we integrated differential expression analysis, multiple machine learning algorithms, and correlation analyses to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for ALS. The machine learning framework utilized gradient boosting tree methodology to construct predictive models, with performance evaluation conducted through cross-validation procedures.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated a significant negative causal relationship between blood glucose levels and ALS risk. Through bioinformatic analysis and machine learning approaches, we successfully identified candidate genes and constructed a high-performance predictive model using gradient boosting tree methodology, achieving an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8782 in cross-validation. Validation studies utilizing both bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets revealed that COL5A1 and VCAN genes play significant roles in ALS pathogenesis, likely through their involvement in glycolytic pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms linking glycometabolism and ALS, while identifying potential diagnostic biomarkers for the disease. The identified genes, COL5A1 and VCAN, represent promising targets for further investigation in ALS pathogenesis. However, the clinical translation of these findings requires validation through additional datasets and prospective clinical trials to establish their diagnostic utility and therapeutic potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyunghwa Shin, Dong-Won Yoo, Shinae Yu, Won-Joo Kim, Sang Yeoup Lee, Sun Min Lee
{"title":"Utilization of Saliva for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Detection in the General Population.","authors":"Kyunghwa Shin, Dong-Won Yoo, Shinae Yu, Won-Joo Kim, Sang Yeoup Lee, Sun Min Lee","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250854","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250854","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Similar to how salivary cortisol reflects serum cortisol as a stress biomarker, saliva by its easy, non-invasive collection, holds promise for mucosal antibody testing to assess systemic humoral immunity. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in saliva during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between February and December 2022, paired saliva and serum specimens were collected twice per participant with the history of infection. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured by Roche Elecsys anti-N and Abbott anti-S1-RBD assays. Cortisol was also quantified in serum-saliva paired samples using Elecsys Cortisol II. Saliva antibody results with manufacturer's serum cutoff were compared with those of the serum.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 166 participants enrolled, the first and second visits showed serum anti-S1-RBD Ab in 162 (97.6%) and anti-N Ab in 79 (47.5%) and 97 (58.4%) participants. At the first and second visits, 14 (8.4%) and 13 (7.8%) participants had salivary anti-S1-RBD Ab, while 4 (2.4%) and 5 (3.0%) participants had anti-N Ab. Agreement between serum and saliva was slight for anti-S1-RBD (κ = 0.004) and poor for anti-N (κ < 0). The mean serum cortisol was 7.52 μg/dL (visit 1) and 7.97 μg/dL (visit 2) versus 0.19 μg/dL and 0.18 μg/dL in saliva. Saliva cortisol levels were ~ 95.5 - 97.6% lower than serum.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Salivary SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and serologic results are poorly concordant, preventing saliva as a direct substitute without assay-specific cutoffs. Salivary cortisol correlates predictably with serum levels but consistently underestimates them. Further work is needed to establish standardized saliva thresholds for both antibodies and cortisol.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Detection of Allergy-Related TPSAB1 Copy Number Variation by MALDI-TOF Nucleic Acid Mass Spectrometry.","authors":"Yang Li, Xuefeng Zhao, Sheng He, Yunli Lai, Shijie Wei, Wanjun Zhou","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250701","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Allergic diseases have been linked to genetic variations in TPSAB1 and TPSB2. This study aimed to develop a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method for simultaneous copy number detection of TPSAB1 and TPSB2.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We established a multiplex PCR-tandem MALDI-TOF MS assay for TPSAB1 and TPSB2 copy number analysis. To validate the method, 35 standard samples pre-validated by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) were used to assess accuracy, sensitivity, repeatability, and stability. Additionally, we applied the method to 274 randomly selected population samples for clinical evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The developed MALDI-TOF MS assay demonstrated high reliability, achieving 100% accuracy in standard samples. The detection limit for the standard template was 20 ng, with repeatability (CV: 8.41 - 13.60%) and stability (CV: 7.75 - 17.38%) within acceptable ranges. In the population cohort, the carrier rate for TPSAB1 copy number gain (> 2 copies) was 12.41%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The MALDI-TOF MS-based method is a robust, cost-effective, and high-throughput molecular diagnostic tool, particularly suited for differentiating highly homologous TPS genes. Its high accuracy and reliability make it a promising clinical assay for TPSAB1 and TPSB2 copy number analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dietmar Enko, Simon Michaelis, Wolfgang J Schnedl, Andreas Baranyi
{"title":"Pathogenic CYP24A1 Mutations.","authors":"Dietmar Enko, Simon Michaelis, Wolfgang J Schnedl, Andreas Baranyi","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250848","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.250848","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Critical Role of Serial β-hCG Monitoring in Diagnosing Bilateral Tubal Pregnancy Following Conservative Surgery.","authors":"Yaowen Hu, Qun Fang","doi":"10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.251156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2025.251156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bilateral tubal pregnancy (BTP) is a rare and diagnostically challenging form of ectopic pregnancy. This report emphasizes the critical importance of serial beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) surveillance following conservative tubal surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 29-year-old patient underwent laparoscopic salpingostomy for a right tubal pregnancy. Serial β-hCG measurements were performed postoperatively to monitor trophoblastic activity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Instead of the expected decline, β-hCG levels rose postoperatively (from 809.29 mIU/mL to 942.47 mIU/mL by day 3). This abnormal trend prompted re-evaluation, leading to the identification of a contralateral tubal pregnancy via ultrasonography. Surgical intervention confirmed the diagnosis of BTP. Following the second procedure, β-hCG levels normalized within one month.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Systematic postoperative β-hCG monitoring is essential for the early detection of persistent ectopic pregnancy and rare conditions like BTP. This case demonstrates that vigilant laboratory surveillance can trigger crucial clinical reassessment, thereby preventing diagnostic oversight and guiding effective management.</p>","PeriodicalId":10384,"journal":{"name":"Clinical laboratory","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}