Endocrine Biomarkers

Book excerpt: Endocrine Biomarkers: Clinical Aspects and Laboratory Determination covers all the pre-analytical variables that can affect test results, both in the clinic and laboratory. Biomarkers of endocrine and bone diseases are discussed from both clinical and laboratory perspectives, and the authors elaborate on the teamwork-based app+roach between the clinician and the laboratory professional in the diagnosis and management of endocrine and bone disorders. Discussions include test utilization, laboratory measurement methods, harmonization and standardization, interpretation of results, and reference intervals. Each chapter ends with a discussion of one or two relevant cases with shared opinions from both a clinician and a clinical chemist. Each chapter also includes a summary box outlining key points and common pitfalls in the use of specific disease biomarkers and tests. - Focuses on the traditional, current, and emerging clinical chemistry tests for endocrine and bone diseases, along with their application in individual clinical management - Presents a brief discussion of each disorder and its respective interrelationships, along with laboratory methodologies that can be used to aid in evaluation of disorders - Reviews common approaches to the measurement of the relevant hormones, with a special focus on measures that require a structured clinical testing scenario - Reviews novel chemistry tests as potential means of future diagnostic tests - Provides an overview of the current methodology and controversies in the concept of target lipid levels, paying particular attention to the role of clinical chemistry in helping to implement population health targets