Annals of Laboratory Medicine最新文献

{"title":"A Novel <i>ABO*O.01.02-B.01</i> Hybrid Allele with a c.28+1G>A Variation Causing the Bel Phenotype.","authors":"Lin-Nan Shao, Chun-Xiang Li, Yue-Xin Xia, Yi-Cheng Yang, Ning Li, Li-Ying Wang, Shi-Hang Zhou, Ya-Xin Fan","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0607","DOIUrl":"10.3343/alm.2025.0607","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"491-494"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13259934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147281999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging Genotypic and Phenotypic Drug Susceptibility Testing for <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>: A Baseline Prior to the Widespread Use of New and Repurposed Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs.","authors":"Kuenyoul Park, Heungsup Sung","doi":"10.3343/alm.2026.0256","DOIUrl":"10.3343/alm.2026.0256","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"357-359"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13259940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148136625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-specific Clones Hamper the Reliability of Immunoglobulin Light Chain Gene Rearrangements in Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Measurable Residual Disease Monitoring in Pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Single-Center Cohort Study.","authors":"Haipin Chen, Jing Miao, Linyang Fan, Juan Liang, Jingying Zhang, Weiqun Xu, Fenying Zhao, Diying Shen, Heping Shen, Hua Song, Shengchao Wu, Yongmin Tang, Tao Sun, Xiaojun Xu","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0486","DOIUrl":"10.3343/alm.2025.0486","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Measurable residual disease (MRD) in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) can be detected via next-generation sequencing (NGS) of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements, particularly in Ig heavy chain (<i>IGH</i>) genes. Ig light chain rearrangements (Ig kappa chain [<i>IGK</i>] or Ig lambda chain [<i>IGL</i>]) are less reliable prognostic markers. We investigated why <i>IGK/IGK</i>-deleting element (<i>IGKDE</i>) rearrangements are unreliable biomarkers for NGS-based MRD monitoring.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center prospective observational cohort study enrolled 506 pediatric patients newly diagnosed as having B-ALL between 2018 and 2022. NGS was performed on bone marrow samples collected at multiple time points, including the end of induction and consolidation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Unlike <i>IGH</i> clones, <i>IGK/IGKDE</i> clones persisted in patients in continuous remission; 12.4% of <i>IGK</i> and 20.0% of <i>IGKDE</i> clones remained detectable at 12 months in these patients. Of these persistent clones, 88.5% (<i>IGK</i>) and 94.1% (<i>IGKDE</i>) also appeared in healthy individuals, with probabilities >10%. Non-specific clones had N-region lengths ≤ 4 nucleotides, whereas leukemia-specific clones varied in this regard. Filtering out non-specific clones with N-region length <4 nucleotides at diagnosis reduced the ratio of persistent <i>IGK</i> clones at 12 months in patients in remission from 12.4% to 2.5%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Non-specific clones reduce the reliability of <i>IGK</i> rearrangements for NGS-based MRD monitoring in pediatric B-ALL. Filtering out these clones may enhance accuracy by reducing false positives.</p>","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"406-416"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13259946/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146163894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward a More Complete High-Resolution Human Leukocyte Antigen Reference for Koreans.","authors":"Inseong Oh, Eun Young Song","doi":"10.3343/alm.2026.0278","DOIUrl":"10.3343/alm.2026.0278","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"360-361"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13259947/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148197314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of the ASAP and GAAD Algorithms for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Detection in a Chronic Liver Disease Cohort in Korea.","authors":"In Hwa Jeong,Young Mi Hong,Young Hye Cho,Hanpyo Hong,Sun Min Lee","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2025.0716","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. To enhance early detection, the ASAP (age, sex, alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II [PIVKA-II]) and GAAD (gender, age, AFP, des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin [DCP]/PIVKA-II) models were developed by integrating demographic data with serum biomarkers. We compared their performance in a Korean chronic liver disease cohort.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data from 524 patients, including 132 with and 392 without HCC. AFP and PIVKA-II levels were measured using Abbott (ASAP) and Roche (GAAD) analyzers. Performance was assessed based on area under the ROC curve (AUROC) and optimal cutoff values for the overall cohort, etiologic subgroups (hepatitis B virus [HBV], hepatitis C virus [HCV], alcohol-related), and early-stage HCC (modified Union for International Cancer Control stage I or II).ResultsIn the overall cohort, both models demonstrated high, comparable performance (P =0.482). The ASAP model achieved an AUROC of 0.945 (sensitivity 81.8%, specificity 93.4%; cutoff 0.404), whereas the GAAD model yielded an AUROC of 0.950 (sensitivity 85.6%, specificity 93.6%; cutoff 1.34). No statistically significant differences were observed in etiologic subgroups or early-stage HCC (P =0.702), with AUROCs remaining high (0.911 for ASAP and 0.916 for GAAD).ConclusionsThe ASAP and GAAD algorithms provide excellent and comparable diagnostic performance for detecting HCC, including in early-stage cases, regardless of etiology. Given Korea's high HBV prevalence and platform variability, these models serve as robust, non-invasive complementary tools for surveillance. This validation supports their clinical utility in the Korean population.","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148313430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practical Considerations for Reporting <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> Using BioFire FilmArray Blood Culture Identification 2 Panel: Lessons from Mixed Blood Cultures.","authors":"Seunghwan Kim, Hae-Sun Chung, Min-Kyung So","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0639","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2025.0639","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The BioFire FilmArray Blood Culture Identification 2 (BCID2; bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Étoile, France) panel enables the rapid detection of bloodstream pathogens directly from positive blood cultures. However, in polymicrobial cultures involving coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> detection by BCID2 may not always align with standard culture results. We evaluated whether analyzing ΔCp-defined as the difference in crossing point (Cp) values between the <i>Staphylococcus</i> genus target and the <i>S. epidermidis</i> species-specific target in BIOFIRE FIREWORKS software, as a within-system proxy for relative target abundance-along with multicolony subculture could improve result interpretation. Between April and September 2025, the BCID2 results from 20 patients at a tertiary hospital in Korea indicated <i>S. epidermidis</i>. These results were compared with standard culture and multicolony subculture findings. Conventional blood culture confirmed <i>S. epidermidis</i> in 12 cases, whereas eight bottles grew other CoNS. Multicolony identification demonstrated <i>S. epidermidis</i> co-detection in six of these BCID2-culture-discrepant cases. Amplification curve analysis revealed significantly higher ΔCp values in discrepant cases than in concordant cases (+0.5 to +11.5 vs. -0.7 to +0.2 cycles; median 3.55 vs. -0.15 cycles; <i>P</i> =0.0002). Hence, ΔCp analysis, supported by subculture, may help identify potential BCID2-culture discrepancies in mixed CoNS cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147873118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Report of Concurrent Infective Endocarditis and Spondylitis Caused by <i>Lactococcus petauri</i>.","authors":"Kyeong Seon Ryu, Taek Soo Kim, Sue Shin, Jae Hyeon Park","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0592","DOIUrl":"10.3343/alm.2025.0592","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"354-356"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071267/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146177632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Letter to the Editor on \"Clinical Characteristics and Mortality Risk Factors of Candida lusitaniae Candidemia: A Multicenter Study in Korea\".","authors":"Can Yan,Jinlin Liu","doi":"10.3343/alm.2026.0027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2026.0027","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":"200 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147753279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clade Differentiation of Candida auris (Candidozyma auris) Clinical Isolates from Korean Hospitals Using Multilocus Sequence Typing and Sequence-Based Identification.","authors":"Yong Jun Kwon,Seung A Byun,Seok Hoon Jeong,Dokyun Kim,Min Hyuk Choi,Eun Jeong Won,Tae Yeul Kim,Jeong Hwan Shin,Min Joong Jang,Min Ji Choi,Ga Yeong Lee,Soo Bin Lee,Soo Hyun Kim,Jong Hee Shin","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2025.0524","url":null,"abstract":"Candida auris (Candidozyma auris) is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast with distinct phylogenetic clades that differ in their epidemiological characteristics. Rapid and practical methods for clade differentiation are needed for effective surveillance and infection control. We performed clade differentiation of C. auris clinical isolates collected in 32 Korean hospitals between 1996 and 2024 using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, with species confirmation via internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D1/D2 region sequencing. We evaluated whether these sequencing methods could help reliably distinguish clade II from other clades. MLST helped classify 339 isolates into clade II (194 isolates from 16 hospitals, 1996-2024) and clade I (145 isolates from 22 hospitals, 2018-2024). All clade II isolates showed distinct ITS sequences compared to other clades (I, III-VI), supporting phylogenetic separation. In contrast, D1/D2 sequencing could not distinguish clade II from clade III. Nine clade II isolates from patients with candidemia were sporadically identified over time and across hospitals. In contrast, clusters of clade I candidemia cases, previously unreported in Korea, were identified at 11 hospitals (2022-2024), with isolates showing identical MLST and ITS/D1/D2 sequences. These findings suggest possible ongoing nosocomial transmission of clade I C. auris fungemia in Korea and demonstrate that ITS sequencing can aid in reliably differentiating endemic clade II from non-clade II C. auris isolates, offering a simpler alternative to MLST.","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147753278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Laboratory Assessment and Clinical Outlook for Ex Vivo-Produced Human Platelets and Megakaryocytes from Stem Cell Sources.","authors":"Kyoung Mi Kim,Koudai I Albaira,Yong Gon Cho,Hyun Ok Kim,Hyung Jin Kim,Soon Sung Kwon,Jaecheol Lee,Dae-Hyun Ko,Sinyoung Kim,Seung Yeob Lee","doi":"10.3343/alm.2025.0687","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2025.0687","url":null,"abstract":"Platelet transfusions are essential for managing thrombocytopenia but have critical limitations, including a 5-7-day shelf-life causing wastage, alloimmune refractoriness in chronically transfused patients, and vulnerability to supply disruptions. Ex vivo platelet production from stem cells represents a transformative solution, evolving from initial hematopoietic stem cell approaches to induced pluripotent stem cell platforms with unlimited expansion and genetic tractability for universal platelet products. We critically reviewed the state and future trajectory of ex vivo platelet production, focusing on stem cell sources, manufacturing innovations, QC methods, and progression from laboratory concept to clinical reality. Key advances include immortalized megakaryocyte progenitor cell lines for scalable manufacturing; turbulence-based bioreactors that harness physiological shear stress to produce over 100 billion platelets/run; and comprehensive quality frameworks spanning cellular and molecular characterization, functional assays, and in vivo validation. We comparatively analyzed pioneering first-in-human clinical trials that collectively established the safety of iPSC-derived platelet transfusion and highlighted the translational challenges of achieving donor-comparable efficacy. We also highlighted the evolving corporate landscape, wherein companies pursue commercialization alongside national initiatives, including Korea's 15-yr artificial blood program. Convergence between biological insight, engineering innovation, and sustained investment suggests that ex vivo platelet production can transform transfusion medicine. Remaining challenges include reducing costs and optimizing in vivo circulation of platelet products. Initial implementation will likely focus on high-value applications, such as transfusion for alloimmunized patients, before broader adoption. The long-term goal is to replace the vulnerable donor-dependent system with on-demand production of standardized, pathogen-free, and universally compatible platelets.","PeriodicalId":8421,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Laboratory Medicine","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147751439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}