Clinical biochemistry studies the clinical significance of laboratory tests. During the course we will systematically address the study of laboratory medicine of the main organs and functions, which is a key part of the diagnostic reasoning process.
The aim of the clinical biochemistry part of the course is to allow the student to acquire basic knowledge on the clinical-diagnostic significance of the laboratory tests of the “clinical chemistry profile” and of specific organs/functions. This knowledge will be applied to the discussion of simple case-studies, allowing the students to put into practice the basic knowledge acquired and test their understanding of laboratory tests.
Biochemistry and physiology
Face-to-face or video-recorded lessons (in presence), available on aulaweb
Please refer to the AulaWeb instance specific to the teaching for any updates due to changes in the health and epidemiological situation.
1-BLOOD
The complete blood count
Electrophoretic profile of serum proteins and its diagnostic interpretation
Principal serum enzymes of diagnostic interest
Non-protein nitrogen
Iron metabolism, quantitative and qualitative defects of hemoglobin
Electrolytes
Morphological and pathognetic classification of anemias
2-LIVER FUNCTION TESTS
Enzymes, bilirubin and jaundice, modifications of serum proteins in selected liver diseases, coagulation factors, diagnosis of selected liver diseases
3-GLUCOSE METABOLISM
Hormones regulating glycemia
Causes of hyper- and hypo-glycemia
Lab tests in diabetes mellitus
Lab tests in chetoacidosis, glucose tolerance test, gestational diabetes.
4-LIPID METABOLISM
Lipoprotein classification and function
Reference values for blood lipids
Hyperlipidemic profiles and cardiovascular risk
5-URINE ANALYSIS AND TESTS OF RENAL FUNCTION
The physical-chemical urineanalysis
Renal functional tests: indicators of glomerular and tubular malfunction
6-TESTS FOR ENDOCRINE DISORDERS
Steroid, peptide and aminoacid-derived hormones: basal levels and pathologic conditions of hyper/hypo-secretion
Lab tests in the diagnosis of endocrinological disorders
7- HEART
Markers of myocardial necrosis and ischemia
Markers of heart failure
8-TESTS OF PANCREATIC FUNCTION
9-ARTERIAL BLOOD GASES AND ACID-BASE BALANCE
10-INFLAMMATION
Common markers of inflammation
Specific markers of inflammation for selected (auto)inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
on-line available (aula web) slides
Common laboratory tests - Vaughn G. Appleton & Lange
Ricevimento: On-demand tutorials and questions, either in presence (at DIMES, Sez. Biochimica, Viale Benedetto XV 1, 1st floor) or via the Teams platform, by appointment (ezocchi@unige.it).
ELENA ZOCCHI (President)
SANTINA BRUZZONE
ELEMENTS OF CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
The examination will consist of a written test (multiple-choice quiz) or an oral interview, in line with the University's regulations regarding anti-covid safety standards.
The exam will verify the achievement of the formative objectives; in particular, it will ascertain the student's knowledge of the clinical meaning of the biochemical-clinical parameters presented during the lessons, of the unit of measure in which they are expressed and of their dynamic range in the main pathologies for which they represent a diagnostic-prognostic tool. The ability to choose, among some proposed tests, those suitable to solve a specific diagnostic question, and the ability to identify deviations from the norm indicative of pathology, will be evaluated.
