Recent Advances in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Laboratory Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 1924

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Children’s Hospital Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2. Department of Nursing, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 244, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: biomedical science; clinical nutrition; biomarkers; molecular diagnostics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of pediatric laboratory medicine has undergone remarkable advancements in recent times, leading to significant improvements in the diagnosis and management of pediatric health conditions. One significant breakthrough has been the development of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests, enabling the earlier detection and more accurate identification of diseases. In particular, the emergence of next-generation sequencing techniques has revolutionized genetic testing, providing clinicians with powerful tools to identify genetic disorders and inform personalized treatment plans. Additionally, advancements in biomarker research have led to the discovery of new markers used to monitor disease progression and responses to therapy. These recent advances not only enhance our understanding of pediatric diseases but also contribute to improved patient outcomes and the overall quality of pediatric healthcare.

Dr. Jasna Leniček-Krleža
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pediatric laboratory medicine
  • diagnostic tests
  • genetic disorders
  • next-generation sequencing
  • biomarker research
  • disease progression
  • personalized treatment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2911 KiB  
Article
Development of a Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Oxylipin Analysis and Its Application to Children’s Plasma
by Yonghan Li, Siddabasave Gowda B. Gowda, Divyavani Gowda, Atsuko Ikeda, Yu Ait Bamai, Rahel Mesfin Ketema, Reiko Kishi, Hitoshi Chiba and Shu-Ping Hui
Diagnostics 2025, 15(15), 1870; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15151870 - 25 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Oxylipins, a family of oxygenated natural products derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), play crucial roles in various physiological processes. Evaluating their levels in vivo helps to reveal their roles in health and disease. Because of the numerous isomers of oxylipins, it [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Oxylipins, a family of oxygenated natural products derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), play crucial roles in various physiological processes. Evaluating their levels in vivo helps to reveal their roles in health and disease. Because of the numerous isomers of oxylipins, it is essential to develop efficient and precise analytical methods for their identification and quantification. The objective of this study is to establish a quantitative method for oxylipin analysis and its application to the assessment of oxylipins in children’s plasma, with potential implications for diagnostic use in pediatric populations. Methods: A liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to quantify 64 oxylipins and four precursor PUFAs within 36 min. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.25 to 50 pg, with most analytes showing recoveries and matrix effects between 85 and 110% and between 90 and 110%, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precision values were within 15%. The established method was applied to plasma samples from children aged 9–12 years (boys = 181; girls = 161) in Hokkaido, Japan, to assess the relation between plasma oxylipin and PUFA levels and age, sex, and body mass index. Results: There was no significant correlation between oxylipin levels and age, sex, or body mass index. However, among the PUFAs, boys had higher eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid levels than those of girls, with a significant increase in eicosapentaenoic acid levels in the overweight group compared with those in the underweight group. Conclusions: We successfully developed a simple and highly selective method for the analysis of oxylipins in preadolescent children’s plasma samples. Thus, this study provides a foundation for broader application of the developed method to different biological samples in future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine)
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11 pages, 681 KiB  
Article
Volumetric Analysis of Motor Cortex and Basal Ganglia in Pediatric Celiac Disease Patients Using volBrain: Implications for Neurological Dysfunction-Preliminary Results
by Filip Murn, Lana Loncar, Jasna Lenicek Krleza, Goran Roic, Iva Hojsak, Zrinjka Misak and Ana Tripalo Batos
Diagnostics 2024, 14(22), 2559; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222559 - 14 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is a common immune-mediated, chronic systemic disorder that is treated with a strict, life-long gluten-free diet (GFD). In addition to gastrointestinal manifestations, CD also presents with a variety of extraintestinal symptoms, including significant neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Among these [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is a common immune-mediated, chronic systemic disorder that is treated with a strict, life-long gluten-free diet (GFD). In addition to gastrointestinal manifestations, CD also presents with a variety of extraintestinal symptoms, including significant neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Among these neurological manifestations, motor dysfunctions are particularly notable. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential volumetric differences in brain structures, particularly the motor cortex and basal ganglia, between pediatric CD patients and healthy controls using the volBrain software AssemblyNet version 1.0. Methods: This prospective study included pediatric patients with CD who complained of neurological symptoms and were scheduled for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All children had been previously diagnosed with CD and their adherence to GFD was evaluated using the Biagi score. Brain MRIs were performed on all included patients to obtain volumetry at the onset of the disease. For volumetric and segmentation data, the volBrain software was used. Results: In total, 12 pediatric patients with CD were included, with a median duration of a GFD of 5.3 years at the time of the MRI examination. There were no statistically significant differences between patients compliant with the GFD and those non-compliant in terms of age or duration of GFD. Volumetric analysis revealed deviations in all patients analyzed, which involved either a decrease or increase in the volume of the structures studied. Conclusion: Despite the limited number of patients in this study, the initial findings support previously described neurological manifestations in patients with CD. Newly developed MRI tools have the potential to enable a more detailed analysis of disease progression and its impact on the motor cortex. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine)
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