Communications and Publications Division (CPD) of the IFCC
Editor: Tahir Pillay, MB ChB, PhD, FRCPath (Lon), FCPath (SA)
Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
E-mail: enews@ifcc.org

International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

N° 5 – June 2018

In t h is issue
 Report for the IFCC VLP - Tunisian Society of Clinical Biology (STBC), JNBC 20183

 In memory of Dr. Norbert Tietz

4 Commutability explained in freely available resources

5 Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council: Clinical Case Studies

7 IFCC Task Force for Young Scientists presents: a mentorship interview

9 The next “big leap” forward for lab medicine: artificial intelligence11

 NEWS FROM REGIONAL FEDERATIONS AND MEMBER SOCIETIES Meeting report from Pakistan (PSCP)

15

 News from the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML)

16

 Clinical Chemistry Ibero-American Symposium and Expolab, Guatemala 201818

 Report from the Chinese Association for Clinical Biochemistry (Taiwan)21

 News from the Saudi Society for Clinical Chemistry (SSCC)

23

 Essential underpinnings of Clinical Laboratory Reference Values discussed
at the French Academy of Medicine – a SFBC initiative24

 IFCC PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (PSEP) My experience in Rome, Italy IFCC's Calendar of Congresses, Conferences & Events

26
28

Report for the IFCC VLP - Tunisian Society of Clinical Biology (STBC),JNBC 2018
Hammamet, Tunisia
8-12 May 2018
by Sunil Sethi
IFCC Executive Board Member
Department of Laboratory Medicine
National University Hospital, Singapore
The Tunisian Society of Clinical Biology held its 2018
Annual Meeting in Hammamet, Tunisia. Hammamet
is a beach resort about one hour by road from the airport and the capital city, Tunis. The conference washeld in a five-star resort hotel which had excellent
facilities to manage the conference. I was informedthat there was a total of close to one thousand participants from all fields of biological science.
The main conference program was over a three day
period and I was involved in multiple activities overthe period of my stay in Tunisia:
1. Visit to the Tunisian Minister of Health. The
IFCC Visiting Lecturers were honoured to behosted by the Minister and we spent the time explaining the work of the IFCC and how we could
cooperate with the Tunisian professional societies in order to raise the level of laboratory practice. The Minister was supportive and looked forward to hosting future IFCC events and activities
in Tunisia.
2. Participated in the IFCC Symposium and presented on my topic “Clinical Laboratory Informatics and Automation”. The symposium and presentation was well received and well attended withan interesting Q&A session on all the topics whichwere presented.
The IFCC Symposium comprised:a. Clinical Laboratory Informatics andAutomation - Sunil Sethi
b. Managing Clinical Laboratory Variability Sergio Bernardinic. Clinical Laboratory Accreditation - David
Kinniburgh

3. Participated in a panel discussion on government legislation and biomedical act requirements.
Shared the latest revisions of the Singapore Healthcare Act and participated in the Questions & Answers session.
4. I was part of the judging panel for the bestposter Award. There were seven high-quality
posters and the eventual winner was a paper entitled ”Contribution of the molecular and functional
study of lymphoproliferative syndrome with autoimmunity in highly consanguineous populations”.
This was a very good paper, with a high level ofscience.
I would like to congratulate the two main organisers of
the event: Professor Taib Ben Massoud and Professor
Abderrazak Hedhili. All administrative arrangements
for travel, accommodation and hospitality were carefully managed for the IFCC speakers. We were met
at the airport and thereafter very well looked after
throughout our stay. The hotel and conference venue
was excellent. The participation from registrants andthe scientific program was exciting and contemporary. The language for the conference was French, buttranslation support was provided.
Overall, I would like to put on record my thanks andappreciation to all those who contributed to the success of the conference and for looking after the IFCC
contingent.
Finally, my sincere thanks to the IFCC and to the VLP
scheme, without which I would not have been able
to participate and share in this wonderful conference
experience.

3

In memory of Dr. Norbert Tietz
A giant in clinical chemistry has diedby Nader Rifai
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, USA
IFCC EMD EC - VLP Chair
On the morning of May 23, 2018, Dr. Norbert Tietz, amajor figure in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine, died peacefully in Georgia, aged 91.
Norbert was born in Stettin, Germany in 1926; one ofseven children who all pursued a career in science. Twoof his siblings became physicians but Norbert believedthat a PhD was a harder goal to achieve, so that is what
he pursued.
As a World War II veteran and a prisoner of war, Norbert
immigrated to America in 1954 to join his brother andto start a new life. He returned home briefly to convince
Gertrud to marry him; they met in Munich just before
he left Germany. Shortly after, they got married in Chicago and had four children.
His first job was at Rockford Memorial Hospital in Illinois,
working under the guidance of Dr. Samuel Natelson, an
early pioneer in the development of clinical laboratory
methods. At the time, the field of clinical chemistry was
undergoing a transformational change driven by people
like Otto Folin, Donald Van Slyke, and Michael Somogyi.
In the 1950’s, instrumental methods of analysis such as
flame photometers and UV spectrophotometers as well
as systems such as the Coulter electronic cell counterand the Technicon Auto Analyzer had been introduced
Dr. Norbert Tietz
and changed forever the landscape of the clinical laboratory. In 1959, he was offered a position at Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center in Chicago with a faculty
appointment at the Chicago Medical School. During his interaction with clinicians, he realized their great dependence on laboratory tests and the need for having a book that bridges modern automated technology andpathophysiology to better connect the medical staff with the clinical laboratorians. Hence he published the firstedition of the Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry in 1969; the 8th edition of this book is scheduled to appear
later this year. The Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry followed almost two decades later to become the mainreference book in the field.
In 2014, I was asked to assume responsibility for both the Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics and the Tietz Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics and to build
Article continued on next page4

on the excellent work that Norbert had started andCarl Burtis, Edward Ashwood and David Bruns continued; Carl Wittwer and Rita Horvath joined me
to accomplish this task. Jerry Gallwas, a dear anda mutual friend, visited Norbert regularly in his
home in La Jolla to share a meal. During each visit, the three of us conversed on FaceTime. I recall
once describing to Norbert the vision for the 6thedition of the Textbook and the desire to convert
it from a book to a primarily cloud-based platform.
He was quite pleased with this and intrigued by theconcept and inquired about the publication date.
When I informed him that it would be in one anda half year, he said disappointedly “Oh, I will bedead by then” and I immediately answered “that is

totally out of the question, you have to stay alive to
see it”. His reply was simply “Okay”. I am glad that
he lived to see it and for us to have several conversations about it.
Norbert dedicated his book “My Life: From Refugee
to Teacher & Scientist” to his “Family, Colleagues, andStudents”, those who meant the most to him. His passion for teaching was exceptional and his dedication
to education was recognized by both the IFCC and
AACC as they bestowed on him their highest honours.
Norbert Tietz was an unusual man who contributed
greatly to our profession and left an indelible and along-lasting impression. His legacy in his books andpublications will be appreciated for generations to
come.

Commutability explained in freely available resources
by Graham H. Beastall
IFCC Representative to the Executiveof the Joint Committee for Traceabilityin Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM)
behave in an identical way to clinical specimens in theassay that is being assessed.

WHAT IS COMMUTABILITY?
One of the key considerations in improving the harmonisation of clinical laboratory results is that thereference materials (and calibrants) used in laboratory methods should behave in an identical fashion
to the analyte being measured in the clinical sample.
A commutable reference material achieves this desirable aim. Non-commutable reference materials may
be a source of variability between different methods
for the same analyte and can contribute to methods
giving erroneous results, which may have clinical consequences for patient care.
Commutability is also important in external quality
assessment (EQA) for the same reason. For EQA results to be meaningful the EQA specimens distributedby the scheme organiser should be commutable, i.e.

The concept of commutability is easy to understandbut more difficult to evaluate. At the basic level commutability is assessed by using two different methods
for the same analyte to measure a panel of clinicalsamples and the reference materials / calibrants (orEQA specimens). For the clinical specimens there
should be a straight-line relationship between thetwo methods. If the reference materials / calibrants(or EQA specimens) lie on the same straight line
they are said to be commutable. Deviation from thestraight-line relationship rendered the reference material / calibrant as non-commutable [1].
Such a ‘black or white’ has long been regarded as unsatisfactory. To address the topic in a more scientific
way the IFCC Scientific Division established the Working Group on Commutability (WG-C), chaired by Greg
Miller from the USA. The WG-C attracted a large andexpert membership who examined commutability in asystematic and scientific way and employed statistics
Article continued on next page5

to define the extent to which a reference material iscommutable, so helping to determine whether thatreference material may be employed with confidence
in a clinical laboratory method.
The WG-C recently published three linked articles inClinical Chemistry [2-4]. These articles prompted an
Editorial entitled ‘The enduring importance and challenge of commutability’ [5]. Together, these publications provide the definitive explanation of commutability and should be of interest to all manufacturersof clinical laboratory diagnostics and to all laboratory
medicine specialists.
JCTLM RESOURCES TO AID THE UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUTABILITY
The JCTLM is an international consortium that promotes the global standardisation of clinical laboratory test results, and provides information on referencematerials, reference measurement methods and services that are available from around the world. The
aim of JCTLM is to support world-wide comparability,
reliability and equivalence of measurement resultsin laboratory medicine, for the purpose of improving
health care and facilitating national and international
trade in in vitro diagnostic devices, by:ÂÂ promoting the concept of traceability of measurement results to the Système Internationald’Unités (SI) or, where necessary, to other internationally agreed references;Â Â evaluating reference materials, reference
measurement procedures and reference measurement services for laboratory medicine withrespect to conformity with appropriate international standards;
ÂÂ producing educational materials and activities promoting the value of traceability in laboratory medicine and raising awareness amongst
stakeholders;ÂÂ promoting close links between Reference Laboratories in Laboratory Medicine and National
Metrology Institutes;
ÂÂ facilitating the identification and prioritisationof measurands requiring international traceability
and comparability and thereby encouraging appropriate organisations to accept responsibility

for the development of suitable reference methods and measurement procedures and certified
reference materials;
ÂÂ encouraging the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) industry to apply the agreed reference measurement systems;Â Â encouraging EQAS organizers to apply theagreed reference measurement systems.
Details of JCTLM may be found at www.jctlm.org. The
JCTLM database of reference materials, reference
measurement procedures, and reference measurement services is freely available at the following link:www.bipm.org/jctlm.
Commutability is of considerable importance to JCTLM and its members. The listing of reference materials on the JCTLM database requires evidence of commutability. Consequently, the JCTLM has produced
educational resources, based on the IFCC WG-C publications, that are freely available to its members andto all interested parties – including IFCC Members andindividual laboratory medicine specialists. There are
two resources:Â Â A special report entitled ‘Commutability ofcertified reference materials’. This report, prepared by Greg Miller and Neil Greenberg (US) on
behalf of the IFCC WG-C, was published as an addendum to the 2018 JCTLM Newsletter. A copy ofthe special report may be accessed here.
ÂÂ Two webinars have been prepared by Vincent
Delatour (FR), a member of the IFCC WG-C and amember of the JCTLM WG for Traceability, Education & Promotion (WG-TEP). These two webinars, each lasting aprox. 20 minutes, have been
published on the IFCC e-Academy together withlearning points. Multi-choice questions to test
the understanding gained from the webinars will
be available shortly. The webinars may be freely
accessed as follows:•

Commutability: why it matters
http://eacademy.ifcc.org/events/jctlmwebinars/?ctype=1154&cid=1857•

Commutability explained
http://eacademy.ifcc.org/events/jctlmwebinars/?ctype=1154&cid=1858
Article continued on next page6

CONCLUSION:
The recent work of the IFCC WG-C has led to definitive publications on the clinically important topic ofcommutability. The JCTLM has produced freely available educational resources to aid understanding ofcommutability and its importance. This short article
aims to encourage laboratory medicine specialists
to improve their own understanding of commutability and to encourage peers, trainees and students todo the same. By insisting on methods that containcommutable reference materials / calibrators andby using commutable EQA specimens laboratory
medicine specialists can make an important contribution to harmonisation and patient safety.
REFERENCES:
1. Miller WG, Myers GL. Commutability Still Matters. Clin Chem 2013; 59: 1291-1293
2. Miller WG, Schimmel H, Rej, R, Greenberg N,
Ceriotti F, Burns C, Budd JR, Weycamp C, Delatour
V, Nilsson G, Mackenzie F, Panteghini, M, Keller
T, Camara JE, Zegers I, Vesper HW. IFCC Working

Group Recommendations for Assessing Commutability. Part 1: General Experimental Design. Clin
Chem 2018; 64(3): 447-454
3. Nilsson G, Budd JR, Greenberg N, Delatour
V, Rej R, Panteghini M, Ceriotti F, Schimmel H,
Weycamp C, Keller T, Camara JE, Burns C, Vesper
HW, Mackenzie F, Miller WG. IFCC Working Group
Recommendations for Assessing Commutability.
Part 2: Using the Difference in Bias between a Reference Material and Clinical Samples. Clin Chem
2018; 64(3): 455-464
4. Budd JR, Weycamp C, Rej R, Mackenzie F,
Ceriotti F, Greenberg N, Camara JE, Schimmel H,
Vesper HW, Keller T, Delatour V, Panteghini M,
Burns C, Miller WG. IFCC Working Group Recommendations for Assessing Commutability.
Part 3: Using the Calibration Effectiveness of a Reference Material. Clin Chem 2018; 64(3): 465-474
5. Young IS. The Enduring Importance and Challenge of Commutability. Clin Chem 2018; 64(3):421-423

Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council: Clinical Case Studies
by Nader Rifai
Founder of CCTC programme
Ann Gronowski
Co-Chair, CCTC programmeThis is the fourth in a series of articles regarding theClinical Chemistry Trainee Council (CCTC), a free multi-lingual online educational program for laboratory
medicine trainees and their mentors (www.traineecouncil.org). Our goal is to bring the CCTC to the attention of laboratory medicine professionals worldwide. Currently, more than 12,000 registrants, from156 countries, are using and benefiting from this endeavor. Approximately 40% of CCTC users are fromemerging and developing countries.
The CCTC website houses a variety of educational
materials, including Clinical Case Studies (CCS). At thepresent time, over 120 CCS are available on the website, with one new case added each month. The way

in which this feature works is that participants request
to receive the actual case with questions to facilitate
discussion within their groups sent to them a monthprior to publication. When the case is published, thecase discussion and commentaries from two clinicians
sharing their views about the clinical case are sent to
the participants. In order to participate in this activity
and receive the monthly CCS, send a request to Ms.
Erin Roberts (eroberts@aacc.org).
Currently, 17,405 individuals from 157 countries participate in this feature. 40 CCS articles are currently
available in Spanish and several others in various languages including Portuguese, French, Russian, Arabic,
Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese.
Article continued on next page

7

The CCS articles are very popular among laboratory medicine professionals and have been downloaded over
1.4 Million times. The top ten most popular ones are listed in Table 1.
Table 1

The top ten most popular CCS articles
First Author

Year
Published# ofdownloads

J. Hood

2008

98,577

J. van der Mahajan

2009

61,079V.S. Mahajan

2010

62,971

F. Khani

2012

32,518

S. Krishnamurthy

2009

22,968

S.C. Murphy

2009

22,496

K.L. Schnabl

2009

20,734

Celiac Disease Refractory to a Gluten-free Diet?

L.M. Mikesh

2008

19,779Prescription Compliance or Illicit Designer Drug Abuse?

M.S. Petrie2012

19,711

A.G. Sofronescu

2011

18,948Title

Evaluation of a Prolonged Prothrombin Time
Severe Hyponatremia with High Urine Sodium andOsmolality
Interpretation of HIV Serologic Testing Results
A 24-Year-Old Man with Previously Diagnosed
Hemophilia
Persistent Increase in Aspartate Aminotransferase in an
Asymptomatic Patient
Too Much of a Good Thing: A Woman with Hypertension
and Hypokalemia
A Patient with a Leg Rash, Pedal Edema, Renal Failure,
and Thrombocytopenia

Unexpected Hemoglobin A1c Results

We encourage all trainees in laboratory medicine and their mentors to take advantage of this free resource andregister to gain access to these materials by going to www.traineecouncil.org.
It takes less than a minute! Enjoy the CCS.

News from the IFCC Website
eJIFCC Vol 29 n°1 - April 2018
The first issue of eJIFCC for 2018 is now available - the first edited by Prof. János
Kappelmayer, director of a large clinical laboratory at the University of Debrecen,
Hungary. eJIFCC, indexed on PubMed Central, has become an increasingly
recognized journal, greatly due to the dedicated efforts of the former Editor-in
Chief Professor Gábor L. Kovács. Prof. Kappelmayer’s intention is to continue
to publish thematic issues, along with research articles, free communications,
letters, and book reviews. Articles in this first issue for 2018 will definitely be ofinterest to all practicing laboratory specialists. Topics include next generation
sequencing for diagnosis of human disease, the investigation of leptin receptor
polymorphism in rheumathoid arthritis, hematological parameters in HIV
infected patients, and the new IFCC clinical chemistry curriculum developed a guide for trainees in clinicallaboratory medicine. 											Read more

8

In Mentorshipthe

INTERVIEW
NEWS

IFCC Task Force for Young Scientists presents: a Mentorship Interview

listen carefully and understand the

As the mentor, Dr Diamandis has a different perspective on how thisrelationship has impacted him. “The most valuable aspect is the respect
and trust that we have between us, as professionals and human beings in
general. Each one of us understands the capabilities and limitations of theother. Our relationship is bidirectional. I learn from the mentee and the
Presented by IFCC Youngmentee learns from me.”aspirations and goals of the mentee,

Advice to Build a Successful Career“In order to be a good mentor, you

first need to have a genuine interestin helping the young individuals
achieve their goals. It is importantthat the mentor has the ability toand also realize the talents andScientists Task ForceAs a mentor who has built a distinguished scientific career in Clinical
Biochemistry, Dr Diamandis’s advice is invaluable. “It has been my own
experience that those who distinguish themselves have access to a lot more
Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis
opportunities than those who are members of a crowd. So, hard work,
persistence and the pursuit of excellence are vital for the future success. To
TheputSecretIngredientsof a Long
LastingandSuccessful
Mentorandit differently,
why would
somebody
offer
a job
to a mediocre
individual?
Mentee RelationshipOn the other hand, those who are distinguished are usually offered a
An Interview
Dr. Eleftherios
Diamandis(Mentor)and Dr. Vathany
lot more withpositionsthan the P.ones
they need.
So, escapefrom the crowd,
Kulasingam(Mentee)become distinguished and show your abilities to those who are hiring young
scientists.”
University of Toronto.
Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis is the Biochemist-In-Chiefabilities of these individuals. “

at University
Health Networkand Mount Sinai Hospital, The Long, Evolving Relationship and Benefits
Mentor:Dr. Eleftherios
P. Diamandis
How to be a Good Mentor and Maintain a Good Mentorship Relationship
Biochemist-In-Chief
two major teaching hospitals in Toronto. He is also
“Weofhave
now completed
years of interactionat“... ofthewhole idea
mentorshipis to usetwelve
the experienceof the mentor
Health Network
Head of University
Clinical Biochemistryat the Division
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graduate
post-doctoral
trainingand Mount
Sinai Hospital
to solve the problems
the mentee,”saidstudies,
Dr. Diamandis.
“In order
to be
Biochemistry,
Departmentof Laboratory Medicine&
and toa haveprofessional
said Dr.
good mentor, program
you first needa genuinerelationship,”interest in helping
theand Pathobiology, University of Toronto. Dr.a Vathany
Head of Clinical Biochemistry
Diamandis.
“It(therelationship)has
evolved
over
the
years
youngHealthindividuals achieve their goals. It is important that the mentor has
Kulasingam is a Clinical Biochemist at University
Department of Laboratory
but thefundamental
values remain
the same. We
bothoftheability tooflisten
carefully
and understandthe aspirations
andaregoals
NetworkMedicine
and is anand
Assistant
Professor at the
University
Pathobiology,
thistalents
mentor-mentee
relationship,
we invest
the mentee, andcommitted
also realizetothe
and abilitiesof these individuals.
Toronto.University of Toronto
thenecessarytime,
acknowledge
thelimitations
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Then, the mentor will try to engineer a relationship which takes intoofaccount
How They Met
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to now for
mentor(together)
the capabilities of
the andmenteeandexperiences
their expectations
professionalandMentee: Dr. Vathany Kulasingam
otheryoungerlaboratorians,”headded.
personal
success.
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goodmentoring
relationshipismaintained
iftheClinicalP.Biochemist
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Diamandis has been in the education

mentorcontinues
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for over thirty
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how interested
this mentorshiphaswell-being
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twentyProfessor
Masters in Science, anda hundred
careerconstantas a laboratorian,Dr.mentee
Kulasingam
exclaimed,
UniversityofTorontoand“Tremendously!”
personal life.” As a graduate student in Dr. Diamandis’
Post-Doctoral Fellows and Residents. “Iprofessionalam blessed
to have been involved with the mentorship of young research laboratory, she witnessed first-hand his role asInterview conducted by
Seek Outa Mentor
professionals
so long,”
Dr. DiamandisHow
said toproudly.
a clinicalbiochemist and how he helped build and shape
Danni
Li, PhD,for
DABCC,
FACB
One
of
his
best
students
isDr.
Vathany
Kulasingam,
Dr.
Diamandis
explains,“Mentees
should study
very carefully
availability
theclinicalbiochemistrylaboratories
in thethedowntown
Assistant Professor
who approachedin 2004 and applied offormentors
a graduate
and selectonehospitals.
with whomthey ashave‘chemistry’andToronto“Now,
a matchingprofessional
myself, - heDirectorof Clinicalhim
Chemistry
student position
in Dr. Medical
Diamandis’ research
onelaboratory.
that has experience
andtogood
reputationin their professional
If therecontinues
supportmy academic
ambitions tolife.
conduct
Universityof Minnesota
CenterFairview
In 2008,
she completed her PhD and enteredthepostis a formal mentor/mentee
relationship,
thisproviding
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research andteach, whileservices.
(His)
doctoral diploma training program at the
University
otherwise
the dissolutionof thein
relationshipmayincluding
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to theboth
support comesmany forms,
providing
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Biochemist
So, Iatadvise
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before committing
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Chermaen
Lindberg
University Health Network immediately after
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theirhomework ofandto ask others
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capabilities,
experienceandgeneralbehavior.”
to always welcome a friendly discussion.”
Article continued on next page9

Mentorship

INTERVIEW

listen carefully and understand the

As the mentor, Dr Diamandis has a different perspective on how thisrelationship has impacted him. “The most valuable aspect is the respect
and trust that we have between us, as professionals and human beings in
general. Each one of us understands the capabilities and limitations of theother. Our relationship is bidirectional. I learn from the mentee and thementee learns from me.”aspirations and goals of the mentee,

Advice to Build a Successful Career“In order to be a good mentor, you
first need to have a genuine interestin helping the young individuals
achieve their goals. It is importantthat the mentor has the ability toand also realize the talents andabilities of these individuals. “

Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis

Mentor: Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis
Biochemist-In-Chief
University Health Networkand Mount Sinai Hospital&
Head of Clinical Biochemistry
Department of Laboratory
Medicine and Pathobiology,
University of Toronto
Mentee: Dr. Vathany Kulasingam
Clinical Biochemist
University Health Network& Assistant Professor
University of Toronto
Interview conducted by
Danni Li, PhD, DABCC, FACB
Assistant Professor
Director of Clinical Chemistry
University of Minnesota Medical
Center Fairview
Designed by:
Chermaen Lindberg
L3 Healthcare

As a mentor who has built a distinguished scientific career in Clinical
Biochemistry, Dr Diamandis’s advice is invaluable. “It has been my own
experience that those who distinguish themselves have access to a lot more
opportunities than those who are members of a crowd. So, hard work,
persistence and the pursuit of excellence are vital for the future success. To
put it differently, why would somebody offer a job to a mediocre individual?
On the other hand, those who are distinguished are usually offered a
lot more positions than the ones they need. So, escape from the crowd,
become distinguished and show your abilities to those who are hiring young
scientists.”

How to be a Good Mentor and Maintain a Good Mentorship Relationship“... the whole idea of mentorship is to use the experience of the mentor
to solve the problems of the mentee,” said Dr. Diamandis. “In order to bea good mentor, you first need to have a genuine interest in helping theyoung individuals achieve their goals. It is important that the mentor has
the ability to listen carefully and understand the aspirations and goals of
the mentee, and also realize the talents and abilities of these individuals.
Then, the mentor will try to engineer a relationship which takes into accountthe capabilities of the mentee and their expectations for professional andpersonal success. A good mentoring relationship is maintained if thementor continues to be genuinely interested about the well-being of thementee, and provide constant guidance as the mentee goes through theirprofessional and personal life.”

How to Seek Out a Mentor
Dr. Diamandis explains, “Mentees should study very carefully the availabilityof mentors and select one with whom they have matching ‘chemistry’ - andone that has experience and good reputation in their professional life. If there
is a formal mentor/mentee relationship, this should be carefully constructed,
otherwise the dissolution of the relationship may be troublesome to bothparties. So, I advise the mentees, before committing to any mentor, to dotheir homework and to ask others who have experience with their mentor tounderstand their capabilities, experience and general behavior.”

10The next “big leap” forward for lab medicine: artificial intelligenceby Bernard GougetCounselor for Public Health FHF
Chair-Human Health Care Committee-COFRAC
Chair-IFCC Nominations Committee
General Secretary of the International Francophone Federationof Clinical Biology and Laboratory Medicine (FIFBCML)
For several months, the numbers of official reports on Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies, such as the one by Cédric Villani (FR), havebeen multiplying. In a report submitted in late March to the French
President, this renowned mathematician states that AI is one of theniches of excellence for state economies.

Bernard Gouget

The countries that will be leaders in this field will be able to capture alarge part of the value of the systems that they transform, as well as
control these same systems, threatening the independence of othercountries. Global competition is fierce. AI requires a collective and coordinated approach, concentrated in strategic sectors such as health,environment, transport-mobility and defence-security.

Health is one of the sectors where the stakes of AI are the highest. To what extent will a machine be able toanalyze, diagnosis and continuously learn? What forms will the human-machine collaboration or partnership take? Will it replace the professional, and if so, to what extent? How are skills delegated? What is thedivision of labour? And what activities or medical specialties will be concerned as a priority?
With increasingly greater computing power available at increasingly lower costs, massive data processing technologies becoming more mature, an increase in storage capacities and continuous development of new algorithmic methods, such as deep learning, AI has shown unprecedented acceleration for 5 years.
The most measurable sign of this dynamic is the multiplication of the number of startups in the sector worldwide and the explosion of investment. In 2016, more than 1600 startups specialized in artificial intelligence werecounted globally.
Since 2012, investments in startups specialized in AI have been increasing, going in 5 years from 415 million dollars to 5 billion dollars. The large digital/IT companies are obviously not to be outdone and are acquiring many
young companies in order to capture the latest innovations. For them, it is a question of guaranteeing control oftechnological advances, new uses and new, unprecedented economic models. These actors clearly understandthe growth opportunities represented by AI. The artificial intelligence market for business applications is estimated at more than 36 billion dollars by 2025.
But beyond the potential for economic growth that it represents, AI is a source of innovation in all of its forms.
While the technological innovation of AI is no doubt the most spectacular effect, it goes hand in hand with innovation in uses, services and products, economic models, marketing and commercial models, organization models
and, of course, with social innovation. Artificial intelligence is truly transformative in these various dimensions.
In a world marked by inequality, artificial intelligence must not lead to increasing social and economic inequalities or to increasing phenomena of exclusion and concentration of value. On the contrary, it should reduce them.
Article continued on next page11

An algorithmic society cannot be a society of blackboxes.The risk of reproducing existing discriminationor producing new ones is substantial. It must be possible to open these black boxes and think beforehand
about the ethical issues that artificial intelligence algorithms may raise. There is therefore a necessity to
see the emergence of a data ecosystem going further
toward opening up data for purposes of research or
public interest by the creation of research networks
of excellence in AI.
The impact of AI on healthcare work and occupations
will cover all medical specialities, regardless of the field.
It has many applications, in simple or complex tasks:
from assistance with diagnosis and prescription to robotization of certain medical procedures and monitoring of connected remote patients. Both in the hospitaland private practice, sharing of relevant information
increases cooperation among healthcare professionals
and coordination of the decision and task planning processes. The use of decision support software will help
keep knowledge about best practices and clinical protocols up to date. AI is an advance for patients: providing improved and more secure diagnosis, saving timeand allowing for more appropriate referrals, improved
disease prevention, better epidemiological monitoring, improved and continuous and remote care,and greater patient autonomy and empowerment.
Training professionals in the issues of AI is a guaranteeof success. They must equip themselves against therisk of disempowerment and loss of autonomy.

The entire relationship between human and machinemust be changed through the design of algorithmic
systems, in the sense of empowerment of humans
and increase of their ability to make informed decisions. It must foster the emergence of talents to
produce AI and encourage the development of skills
in mathematics and IT to deploy AI-based systems.
Simultaneously with this development of advanced
skills, young people must be trained very early andwidely to be aware of the technical, legal, economicor ethical issues posed by using artificial-intelligencebased tools. At all levels, explanations should be provided to demystify it through collective reflection on
the issues both in terms of research and the transformation of work. Acceptability will also be learned via
the trust that the users themselves, i.e., healthcare
professionals, will place in applications and tools. Thisconfidence involves developing a framework of ethics
regulations for the development of AI and robotizationin healthcare. But confidence will also be increased by
the proof of efficacy of AI: new tools will be adopted ifthey reduce the risk of error, speed up the treatment
process, improve practices and are easy to use. Social
acceptability will also depend on the ability of industry to understand and meet these demands. The universality of AI and its infinite variety of its forms is arevolution full of challenges and rebound effects. AI
only makes sense; it is part of the human, social andenvironmental progress.

News from the IFCC Website
Diagnóstico in Vitro - Junio 2018
Enjoy the contents of the new DIAGNÓSTICO IN VITRO June issue.
En este número tiene un espacio importante la COLABIOCLI: su Presidenta expone
una reseña histórica y plantea un compromiso general y una tarea de todos
para alcanzar los objetivos propuestos; igualmente la Presidenta del Congreso
COLABIOCLI 2019 (Panamá) informa sobre el avance del mismo. Aportes de losmiembros de Iberoamérica en noticias y artículos de investigación provenientes
de Argentina, Brasil, España, Guatemala, Colombia, Panamá y República Dominica,
complementan la “materia prima” de esta edición. In this issue the IFCC WG-IANT
confirms its commitment to advance excellence in laboratory medicine for better
healthcare worldwide in Latin America.
Read more

12

Invitation

International IFCC Course
on Flow Cytometry

INFORMATION

http://ifccflowcytometrycourse.org/

Course Webpage
www.ifcc.org

Novel Applications
in Flow Cytometry
for Clinical andTranslational
Research

OpenStreetMap

20th to 22th June 2018
Istanbul, Turkey

Registration for the course
and accomadation
PINAR ÇOBANOĞLU
E-mail : pcobanoglu@kenes.com
NEYIR ÜTÜGEN
E-mail : nutugen@kenes.com
Kenes M+
Maslak Mah. Dereboyu 2 Cad.
Ata Center Apt. No: 15B/110
34485 Sarõyer/İstanbul
Tel : 212 299 9984

For further information
please contact:
PINAR ÇOBANOĞLU
pcobanoglu@kenes.com
NEYIR ÜTÜGEN
nutugen@kenes.com
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Turkey
Askent Sokak No:3A Kosifler İş Merkezi A Blok
Kat:8 34752 İçerenköy Ataşehir
Istanbul / Turkey

13

ARAB FEDERATION OF
CLINICAL BIOLOGYAFCB

1ST IFCC, EFLM, AFCB, FIFBCML CONFERENCE“LABORATORY MEDICINE:
MEETING THE NEEDS OF
MEDITERRANEAN NATIONS”
2 - 4 JULY, 2018
UNIVERSITY OF TOR VERGATAROME
REGISTER
Register

DOWNLOAD
THEDownload
PROGRAMME
Programme
14NEWS FROM REGIONAL FEDERATIONS AND MEMBER SOCIETIES
Meeting report from Pakistan (PSCP)
Meet the fraternity – a networking session
by Sibtain Ahmed
Consultant Chemical Pathologist
Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
On 26 April 2018, in line with medical laboratories professionals’ week, an interactive session was organizedby the section of Chemical Pathology, Department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Aga Khan University (AKU) in collaboration with the Pakistan Society of Chemical Pathology (PSCP). This was a ‘first of its
kind meeting’ conducted using a virtual platform ensuring maximum participation from Chemical Pathology training centers across the country.

Chemical Pathology group from Karachi gathered at
AKU with participation from Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant, PNS Shifa, Liaquat National Hospital, Ziauddin University Hospital, Dow University of
Health Sciences and Indus Hospital.
A virtual podium was utilized for the meeting, basedon ZOOM, which enabled simultaneous participationfrom various centers across the country, specifically:
SMDC Lahore, AFIP Rawalpindi, CMH Quetta, QAMCInteractive sessions of Chemical Pathology training centers via Zoom, at Chemical Pathology,
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Aga Khan University, Karachi, PK

Article continued on next page

15

Bahawalpur, SZMC Rahim Yar Khan and RMIT Peshawar. During the two-hour session, almost all the recognized centers across Pakistan (Karachi, Rawalpindi,
Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar
Khan) were on board.
The ideology behind this activity was to develop connections of Chemical Pathology trainees from acrossPakistan with supervisors and discuss the expectedchanges in upcoming exam patterns including intermediate module (IMM) and FCPS part 2. Maximum
time was spent in discussions on the overview of curriculum and assessment in IMM.
The activity was officially called on by a welcome noteby Prof. Dr. Imran Siddiqui, one of the pioneers ofChemical Pathology at AKU. He emphasized the significance of such collaborative activities and its value forthe young blood. His talk was followed by an introduction from all the attendees.
The next talk was by Prof. Dr. Aamir Ijaz who shedlight on the overview of curriculum and assessment
in IMM of Pathology. His session was of utmost importance for all the trainees and as expected was followed by a variety of questions.
The next dialogue was by Dr. Adnan Mustafa Zuberi.
He presented an update of expected changes in FCPSII examination of Chemical Pathology. This was a very
informative presentation for the trainees especiallythose approaching the upcoming examination andwas further supported by key tips from Dr. Imran Siddiqui and Dr. Aamir Ijaz.
Dedicated assessment and curriculum allied sessions
were followed by a discussion by Prof. Dr. Asma Shaukat
who gave vital tips and instructions for trainees to successfully ace the residency period and complete theirrequirements to be eligible for the exit exam in due
course of time.
Subsequently, Dr. Brig. Muhammad Aamir delivered
a talk on opportunities for trainees in upcoming cities of Pakistan. He discussed the constraints faced bytrainees in far flung areas and how to overcome themwith the help of bigger established centers.
The last talk of the meeting was by the section head ofChemical Pathology AKU, Dr. Aysha Habib Khan who
suggested young Chemical Pathologists explore broader horizons in future especially focusing on metabolic
medicine as subspecialty training.
Lots of questions were raised in the two-hour networking session by the trainees and were responded
to by the panelists.
The event came to conclusion with a vote of thanksfrom Dr. Aysha Habib Khan. She appreciated event
organizers Dr. Hafsa Majid and Dr. Sibtain Ahmed forthis initiative and encouraged the participants to utilize such platform in future as well for the maximum
benefits of our fraternity.

News from the Spanish Societyof Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML)
The website Lab Tests Online (LTO) brings the workof clinical laboratory professionals closer to the Spanish publicThis project is backed scientifically by the Spanish Society of Laboratory
Medicine (SEQCML)ÂÂ The initiative aims to offer information about clinical analyses to thegeneral public.
ÂÂ Adapted to Spain by an Editorial Committee, it includes information on some 1,200 tests, news, andother resources.
ÂÂ LTO ES (www.labtestsonline.es) exceeds 300,000 monthly users from all Spanish-speaking countries.
Article continued on next page

16

MADRID, 7 MAY, 2018
The Internet has made available to the entire world
a great deal of information on any subject, including
health. The problem now is to distinguish serious andreliable information from unverified data. Lab Tests
Online (LTO) was created with this objective in mind,
and is a website that offers rigorous and quality information in the specific field of medical tests. It is an initiative backed in Spain by the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML), which was charged with
developing the version of this site for Spanish-speaking countries, LTO ES (www.labtestsonline.es). LTO
ES has the WMA (Accredited Medical Web) seal andfollows the principles of the HON Code (Health on Internet Foundation).
“In today’s society, people are increasingly concerned
about their health and seek out information on how
to stay healthy longer,” explains Dr. Marià Cortés, director of the Editorial Board of LTO ES. She notes that,with this in mind, the tool was designed to help provide better understanding of the work performed byclinical laboratory professionals. The website is aimed
at the general public, but it can also be useful for
health professionals. “The clinical laboratory is usually unknown to the general public, despite the fact thataround 70-75% of medical decisions are made taking
laboratory data into account,” says Dr. Cortés.

importance of the laboratory in the overall context ofhealth care,” says Dr. Cortés.
In 2017 the website was visited by more than 3.7 million users, with an average of 310,500 visits per month;this usage data is four times higher than in 2014. Although the website is managed in Spain and adapted
to its specificities, a significant number of visits comefrom other Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, Spainis the country with the largest audience (28.14%), followed by Mexico (20.98%).
11 YEARS OF LTO ES
Lab Tests Online (LTO) began as an initiative of theAmerican Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) ata time when the Internet was beginning to become
more popular, in 2001. Starting the following year, theSpanish Federation of Health Technology (FENIN) andthe Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML)
tried to reach an agreement with the AACC to develop a Spanish version of this website. An agreement
was not reached until 2006, and was signed between
the AACC and the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA), allowing the Scientific Societies of European countries to translate the content of
the website, adapting it to the specific circumstancesof each country.

Thus, Dr. Cortés believes that LTO can be a great help
in the interpretation of laboratory tests. “Knowing
what is analyzed, what it is used for, how the result isinterpreted, etc. ... can help users understand betterthe report they receive from the laboratory and why
the included tests were requested”, she explains. “Wealso believe that it can be a practical source of information for general practitioners, especially for more
specialized laboratory tests,” adds the specialist.

This is how Lab Tests Online began in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece, with a common content
management system managed by Engitel. The Spanish version of Lab Tests Online first appeared in March
2007. “For its development, we had a large team oflaboratory medicine professionals who, under the tutelage of the Editorial Committee, were in charge oftranslating the content of the American website andadapting it to the characteristics of our country “, explains Dr. Maite Panadero, member of the editorialcommittee of LTO ES.

The LTO ES website includes information on around
1,200 tests and is constantly updated. The site allows
access to the information by searching for the nameof the test or the associated physiological condition.
It also offers an information section. “We try to maintain a periodic frequency of publication of health news
related to the clinical laboratory that is aimed at thegeneral public, so that they can become aware of theOver the past 11 years, LTO ES has been enriched by
the progressive incorporation of the American website´s content. In recent years, in addition, its presence in social networks has been enhanced by the
publication of news items prepared in Spain, and related to various aspects of health or disease prevention, which were published on the LTO ES website andshared on different social networks. This, according
Article continued on next page17

to Dr. Panadero, is aimed at attracting a younger audience. In addition, the doctor notes that the website
has recently been migrated to the American website´s management system, which was in the redesignphase. This has not only improved the managementof the website but also its design. “The current www.
labtestsonline.es not only looks much more attractive, but is also more user-friendly and simple to use;
it is also ‘responsive’, that is, adaptable to all types ofdevices.”

THE SEQC MLThe Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML) -founded in 1976- now includes more than 2,500 professionals and has as its main objective to bring together all interested scientists in the field of the Clinical Laboratory, to promote the dissemination of scientific and technical publications, to organize meetings, courses, andcongresses of national and international character, and to cooperate with other Scientific Societies. Likewise, theSociety aims to contribute to the study and recommendation of standardized methods and establish guidelines
and recommendations for training in the field of Laboratory Medicine.
For more information: www.seqc.es

Clinical Chemistry Ibero-American Symposium and Expolab, Guatemala 2018
Within the framework of the foundationof the Asociación de Químicos Biólogos
de Guatemala (AQBG)
by Sandra Lima Pimentel
Chemistry Biologist, Manager AQBG

The symposium is held within the framework of thecommemoration of the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the Asociación de Químicos Biólogos deGuatemala. The AQBG was born in 1952 and obtained
legal status on 4 May 1953. This historical fact makes
it one of the oldest clinical laboratory professional organizations in Latin America.

this generates a progressive spirit that encourages
participation in the programs of Continuous Quality
Improvement in the Clinical Laboratory, implemented by the international leaders in laboratory medicine and, additionally, encourages the organizationof symposiums and congresses with the participation of notable foreign professors and experts.

After its foundation, the AQBG went through a period of relative inactivity, until it was introduced to a
new stage in 1987, due to its membership of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and the Latin American Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI);

One of the main goals of the Continuous Education
Commission of the AQBG is the constant scientific and technical training for the clinical laboratory
professionals; due to this purpose and for the 65th
anniversary of its foundation, the AQBG has beenworking hard to organize the Clinical Chemistry
Article continued on next page18

Ibero-American Symposium and Expolab Guatemala 2018, which will take place on 28-29 June 2018, in
the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel. This will be done withthe participation of Dr. María del Carmen Pasquel,president of the Working Group on Iberoamerican
Nomenclature and Translation (WG-IANT), which
belongs to the Iberoamerican Corner (RIA) of theCommunications and Publications Division (CPD) of
the IFCC.

de San Carlos de Guatemala and Universidad delValle de Guatemala.
Among the topics to be addressed during the symposium are:ÂÂ Imbalance of the intestinal microbiota.
ÂÂ Vaginal dysfunction: the transcendent rolethat the biochemist must occupy in primary
health care.
ÂÂ Thyroid Hormones Preanalytical.
ÂÂ Pre-analytical phase management and prevention of laboratory errors.
ÂÂ ISO 15189:2012 Accreditation of the Laboratory - Important steps in the Implementation,
Validation, Verification and Evaluation of Methods. What should I know?
ÂÂ Clinical chemist role in pharmacovigilance

Asociación de Químicos Biólogos
Board of Directors

This symposium will allow the professional and academic interactions of the Biologist Chemist, in thefields of Quality Control, Microbiology, Immunology,
Serology, Haemostasis, Evidence-Based Medicine
and Clinical Biochemistry, apart from the opportunity to share and exchange experiences among colleagues.

ÂÂ Omega 3 effect of on cardiovascular risk factors, C-reactive protein and serum homocysteine
in women over 35 years.
The Asociación de Químicos Biólogos de Guatemala
has entered, with its 65 years, a stage in which thematurity and enthusiasm of its members will takeit into cycles of permanent progress, to enhanceand dignify the clinical laboratory professionals in
Guatemala.

On this occasion, it will have the participation of international speakers, members of the WG-IANT ofthe IFCC, from Argentina, Panama, Mexico, Uruguay,
Spain, Brazil/Italy, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama, Chileand Ecuador who, due to their extensive experience
will provide updates on the topics of the areas described above.
The IFCC has granted three Visitor Lecture Program(VLP) for the speakers and has sponsored the event.
We also have the sponsorship of the Iberoamerican
Corner (RIA), the Argentinian Biochemistry Foundation (FBA) and the Wiener Lab Foundation.
The three VLP speakers will also hold a Pre-Symposium Student Conference on June 27 at the Universidad

Plaza de la Indipendencia, Quito (EC)

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19

20

Report from the Chinese Association
for Clinical Biochemistry (Taiwan)
by Woei-horng Fang
Taiwan National Representative
This brief report summarizes some of the highlights ofactivities for CACB during the first half Year of 2018.
1) CACB annual conference and scientific symposium,in conjunction with the 33rd Joint Annual Conferenceof Biomedical Science (JACBS)

Special Lecture speaker Dr. Jozica Habijanic
and CACB Board members

CACB held its annual meeting during the 33rd Joint
Annual Conference of Biomedical Science (JACBS) heldat the National Defense Medical University Campus,
Taipei on 24-25 March 2018. We invited Dr. Jozica
Habijanic, Head, Strategic Development Asia Pacific,
Roche Diagnostic Asia Pacific, to deliver a special lecture on “The Future of Healthcare and Diagnostics: AI
Application.” She shared valuable experiences with us
from the vision of corporate sector ranging from recent advances to the future developments in healthcare and diagnostics. CACB also organized a symposium “Metabolism and Disease from Research to Clinical
Diagnosis”. Three speakers shared their experiencesin recent development of in vitro diagnostic technology. Ching-Hua Kuo, Professor of School of Pharmacy,
National Taiwan University, presented “Developmentof analytical methods for metabolomics studies andtherapeutic drug monitoring.” Dr. Ching-Ying Kuo,

Professor of Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, presented “Altered mitochondrial metabolism
regulates breast cancer tumorigenicity.” Mei-Ling
Cheng, Professor of Healthy Aging Research Center,
Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University, presented “Metabolomics in human health.”
Following the symposium, the student research oralpresentation competition and poster contest werealso held. Overall, the two-day conference was very
successful and truly an enjoyable academic gathering
for the attending members of CACB.
Election for the CACB Executive Board 2018-2021: Ms.
Hsiao-Chen Ning (ning@cgmh.org.tw), Chief Technologist, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung
Memorial Hospital, was elected as the President. The
immediate past-president Dr. Woei-horng Fang willserve as Executive Board member and National Representative to IFCC for the same period.
The new Secretary General is Dr. Ching-Ying Kuo (cykuo27@ntu.edu.tw), Assistant Professor of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical
Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan
University.

CACB newly elected president Ms. Hsiao-Chen Ning(center in the front) and Board members for 2018-2021
Article continued on next page21

2) CACB in conjuction with Dept CLSMB, NTU, andBiomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute organized a special lecture to invite Dr. AlanWu, Professor Laboratory Medicine, Chief, Clinical
Chemistry Laboratory, San Francisco General Hospital, to deliver a speech of “Promoting the value ofthe clinical lab to students, patients and the generalpublic.” CACB members and students from Dept
CLSMB, NTU enjoyed the talk followed by an enthusiastic discussion. This special lecture also served as
the official launch of the tranditional Chinese edition for Dr. Wu’s book: “The Hidden Assassin: When
Clinical Lab Tests Go Awry.” All the fans were very
happy to have Dr. Wu’s signature on the front pageof the books.

CACB Board members with Dr. Alan Wu and his newly published traditional Chinese edition book

News from the IFCC Website
IFCC Annual Report 2017
Do you want to know about the activities that were carried out in 2017 by IFCC
and its members? The IFCC Annual Report 2017 compiled by Dr. David Kinniburgh,
IFCC Secretary, is now available. A message from the IFCC past President, Prof.
Maurizio Ferrari, welcomes the reader, followed by reports from IFCC Officers
on key projects covering a wide range of clinical, scientific, educational andcommunication related topics. National or Area Societies and Regional Federation
reports are also included, allowing the opportunity to communicate their activities
to other members.
										Read more

22

News from the Saudi Society for Clinical Chemistry (SSCC)
Newly-elected SSCC Board members for 2018-2020
by Anwar Borai
Saudi Arabia National Representative
Saudi Society for Clinical Chemistry (SSCC) is a national scientificand medical professional organization dedicated to better healththrough laboratory medicine in
Saudi Arabia.
On 7 May 2017 the General Assembly for the society
was held at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties in the capital city of Riyadh to elect a new
board for the society.
The SSCC is pleased to announce that Dr. Samia Sobki,
MBBS, Msc, FRCPATH, Consultant and Head of Clinical Chemistry Division, Prince Sultan Military Medical City has been elected to serve on the SSCC new
Board as president-elect starting in May 2018. Other
elected members of the new board are as follow; Dr.

Ali Al Othaim as Vice President, Mr. Nawaf Otaibi as
Treasurer Officer and Dr. Zuhair Awan as Secretary of
the Executive Board. These new board members will
begin their terms immediately for a period of three
years.
The SSCC Board and members, wish to extend an
enormous and heartfelt thank to the Past President,
Dr. Walid Al Tamimi, for his dedication starting fromthe establishment of the society in 2016 through hisleadership in the past three years. Thanks to the previous board members for their dedicated efforts andexcellent performance during the last tournament of
the society.
Finally, best wishes for the continued success with the
new board format.

The new Board members of the SSCC

23

Essential underpinnings of Clinical Laboratory Reference Values discussed
at the French Academy of Medicine – a SFBC initiativeby Katell Peoc’h
co-Chair SFBC-SD committee (www.sfbc-asso.fr)
Assistant Professor Univ. Denis Diderot (Paris VII)
Biochemistry Dept., Univ Hospital Beaujon AP-HP
Bernard Gouget
SFBC, International Committee
Counselor for Public Health FHF
Chair, Human Health Care Committee-COFRACIFCC past Chair-Nominations Committee

On 24 January 2018, Prof. Marc Delpech, SFBC President, Dr. Remy Couderc, Trousseau, Univ. Hospital
AP-HP, in coordination with Prof. Edgard Delvin, Ste.
Justine University Health Centre in Montreal (CA) organized a one-day joint symposium with the French
National Academy of Medicine and the French Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, to discuss the clinical efficiency of laboratory testing and how to definelaboratory reference values and decision limits.
Prof. Christian Châtelain, President of the French
National Academy of Medicine and Prof. Jean Loup

Parier, President of French National Academy ofPharmacy welcomed the attendees. They drew attention that collaboration of the two Academies
is increasingly needed with the emerging newhealth-related technologies and approaches inpharmaceutical sciences. Such initiatives addressing critical issues in health, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences and related policies inspire positive
action across all fields of laboratory medicine, andallow anticipating new societal needs as well as inherent professional changes. The Academy of Pharmacy recently published a series of reports andArticle continued on next page24

press releases on POCT, self-testing, physicians’ office testing, as well as on strategies and guidelines
in serology standardization.
The two Presidents congratulated Dr. Katell Peoc’h,
co-Chair SFBC-SD committee, for having assembled areal star cast of speakers to explore how strong theimpact of Laboratory Medicine on the continuum ofpatient care and on early diagnosis is. Proper reference values of biological constituents provided onlaboratory reports are essential for an appropriate
interpretation of medical exam results, as they may
significantly impact clinical decision-making and thus
the quality of patient care.
Prof. J Henny, from INSERM UMRS 011, opened thefirst session, chaired by Prof. Edgard Delvin, Corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine, with a talk entitled “Reference values: strengths,
weaknesses and challenges”. He presented the different studies from the IFCC C-RIDL and the different
methodologies that can be used to determine decision limits.
Dr. Pierre-Jean Lamy, Co-CEO Genomic Analysis Institute, then asked “To test or not to test for PSA:
that is the question”. He stressed that PSA is an easy
blood test to perform that has quickly been adopted-without waiting for evidence showing that it actually
worked. For many years, not enough information wasavailable to recommend for or against PSA testing. He
further underlined that the PSA test not being accurate from a clinical point of view creates anxiety due tofalse positive results that may lead to further testing
resulting in negative results. It also has the potentialof diagnosing a low-risk cancer for which the treatment may be worse than the disease. He concluded
that following the patient closely without treatment
might be preferable. The US Preventive Services Task
Force (USPSTF) recommends for men aged 55 to 69
years, the decision to undergo periodic PSA–based
screening for prostate cancer should be an individual one. Before deciding being screened, men shouldhave an opportunity to discuss the potential benefits
and harms of screening with their clinician and toincorporate their values and preferences in the decision.

Prof. François Richard, urologist at La Pitié-Salpétrière
University Hospital AP-HP and Member of the French
Academy of Medicine, said that in France out of 11.9
million men over 40 years with no known prostatecancer, 3.4 million (28.9%) had at least one PSA testin the year 2015. He further warned that the use of asingle elevated PSA level to screen positive for prostate cancer is controversial due to the low specificity of the test and the questionable benefits of PSA
screening on prostate cancer mortality.
Prof. Liliane Grangeot-Keros, Secretary of the French
Academy of Pharmacy, and WHO expert, chaired thesecond session on serology. Dr. Christelle Vauloup-Fellous explained that the interpretation of rubella laboratory results must always take into account relevant
clinical and epidemiological data. Prof. Olivier Picone,
Obstetrician, Louis Mourier University Hospital APHP, said that the detection of rubella specific IgM
is usually used for the diagnosis, and that althoughcommercial assays are available they vary in sensitivity and specificity. Consequently, it is essential thatlaboratory results be interpreted in the context of fullclinical details to avoid misinterpretation of results
and to minimize anxiety for the patient, especially if
termination of pregnancy is considered.
The third session chaired by Prof. Dominique Bonnefont-Rousselot, Member of the French Academy ofPharmacy was focused on “Defining reference values
and decisions limits”. De facto, many quantities assayed in clinical laboratories demonstrated age-related changes; in particularly in early life, adolescence,
old age, and after the menopause in females.
Prof. Edgard Delvin underlined that clinical interpretation of lab results relies heavily on the availability of
appropriate population-based reference intervals or
decision limits developed through clinical outcomesstudies. The need for sound evidence-based reference intervals has been largely overlooked particularly in paediatric and elderly populations. In the fieldof paediatric medicine, accurate age and sex specificintervals established using samples from healthy children have, for a long time, not been available, forcing
many paediatric laboratories to report adult reference intervals. Dr. Rémy Couderc, Head, Biochemistry Department, Trousseau University Hospital AP-HP,
Article continued on next page25

reported that several international studies have addressed this issue including CALIPER, CHILD-X, KIGGs,
PEDREF and the current conclusions of the SFBC
working group.
Dr. Maëlle Beunardeau, Geriatrician AP-HP, discussed the biological variations and reference values in elderly people. Physiologic changes over theyears of a long life seemed to be responsible for impairment of regulation or function of many organsystems. The presence of multiple diseases in elderly patients, as well as the many medications often
taken, are no doubt more sources of confusion anddismay in the correlation of between the laboratory
test results and the clinical evaluation than the lackof adequate reference ranges specifically compiled
for the elderly.
Focusing on the future, Prof. Michel Vidaud, Geneticist at Cochin University Hospital AP-HP, discussed theimpact of genetic variability on reference values andunderlined the need to take this variable into accountin order to refine the medical decision. He delineatedthe different genomic variations integrating the germinal genome, de novo mutations, post-zygotic mutations, mutations accumulated over time, and mutations in the tumour cells. He pointed out that theconstant modification of the genome has thus to betaken into consideration as an additional element variation in biological reference values.
At the conclusion of the conference, Dr. Roselyne
Garnotel, Assistant Prof., Biochemistry Reims University Health Centre, coordinated a round tablewith representatives from various horizons including
public, private sectors as well as from the industry
and from the academies to address the challenges
and the opportunities of the “Normal reference Laboratory values”. Today, Clinical Laboratories are positioned to play a pivotal role in the transformationof medicine towards patient-centredness and carecoordination for each individual. It is also clear thatfurther collaborations between clinicians and biologists are needed even more to assure holistic patientcare.

IFCC PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (PSEP)
My experience in Rome, Italy
by Wahid Ali
King Georges Medical University, Lucknow, India
Dr. Wahid Ali (M.Sc., Ph.D., MISAR, MISSRF, MABS) isan Associate Professor in the P.G Department of Pathology, King Georges Medical University, Lucknow.
I was hosted by Prof. Sergio Bernardini (MD, PhD), Professor of clinical biochemistry at University of Rome,and Head Physician of clinical molecular biology of the
Department of internal medicine unit at Tor Vergata
University Hospital.
University of Rome Tor Vergata, established in 1982, is
known for providing high quality education in field of
medicine and surgery to students. The University possesses one of the most modern University Hospitals

in Italy (Tor Vergata Polyclinic), with state-of-the-art
medical equipment on campus. The university hospital is well equipped with diagnostic and therapeutic
vanguard structures and is considered a flagship hospital at national and international level.
THE AIM OF MY VISIT WAS THE FOLLOWING:
ÂÂ To learn the basic analytical differences
between cTnT and cTnI in the populationof the host institution.
ÂÂ To standardize the laboratory methodology
for hsTropI assay in our setup.
Article continued on next page26

ÂÂ To characterize the silent features and superiority of hsTropI over routine TropT test.
ÂÂ To explore the molecular mechanism for theraised hsTropT in acute MI subjects.
ÂÂ To correlate the molecular and biochemical
indices further to recommend the hsTropI in ACS
patients of northern India.
THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES WERE ACHIEVED:ÂÂ The basic analytical differences between cTnT
and cTnI in the population of host institution
were analysed.
ÂÂ The laboratory methodology for hsTropI assay
in our setup was standardized.
ÂÂ The salient features and superiority of hsTropI over routine TropT test were characterized.
ÂÂ The molecular mechanism for the raised
hsTropT in acute MI subjects was explored.
ÂÂ The molecular and biochemical indices werecorrelated and hsTropI assay is recommended in
ACS patients of northern India.

ÂÂ The laboratory sketch and the things learned
are being implemented in our laboratory to produce good results.
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude
to Prof. Sergio Bernardini from University of Romefor giving me the golden opportunity to be a part of
IFCC Professional Exchange Programme. It has beena real pleasure to work with these very fine and capable professionals.
I would also like to give my vote of thanks to our honourable Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M.L.B Bhatt, for his
extensive support and encouragement. I have insufficient words to express my gratitude to him.
My sincere thanks to the Indian Association of Clinical
Biochemists (ACBI), recognizing their support. Withoutit, I would have done very little.
Through participation in this exchange, I feel particularly privileged to be acting as a catalyst between thetwo great nations.
The full report can be accessed here.

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27

News from the IFCC Website
C-CLM Interactive Case Scenarios
C-CLM is happy to present a second case scenario on “Short-Termand Long-Term Biases in Internal QC Results”. Prof. Aye Aye Khine
Wamono, will evaluate responses and provide feedback through the
IFCC webpage. Please submit your answers directly to Prof. Wamono.
The C-CLM looks forward to your participation and performing fruitful interactive discussions with you!
									Read more

IFCC's Calendar of Congresses, Conferences & Events
Calendar of IFCC Congresses/Conferences
and Regional Federations' Congresses

Jun 20 - 22, 2018

International IFCC Course
on Flow Cytometry

Istanbul, TR

1st IFCC, EFLM, AFCB Conference“Laboratory Medicine: Meetingthe needs of Mediterranean Nations”

Rome, IT

ARAB FEDERATION OF
CLINICAL BIOLOGYAFCB

Jul 2 - 4, 2018

1ST IFCC, EFLM, AFCB, FIFBCML CONFERENCE“LABORATORY MEDICINE:
MEETING THE NEEDS OF
MEDITERRANEAN NATIONS”

XXIII IFCC - EFLM EuroMedLab
Barcelona 2019

Barcelona, ES

Sep 11 - 13, 2019

COLABIOCLI Regional Congress 2019Panama, PA

Nov 17 - 20, 2019

APFCB Regional Congress 2019

Jaipur, IN

May 19 - 23, 2019

2 - 4 JULY, 2018
UNIVERSITY OF TOR VERGATAROME
REGISTERDOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME

Calendar continued on next page28

May 24 - 28, 2020

XXIV IFCC WorldLab - Seoul 2020

Seoul, KR

May 16 - 20, 2021

XXIV IFCC - EFLM EuroMedLab Munich 2021

Munich, DE

May 21 - 25, 2023

XXV IFCC - EFLM WorldLab EuroMedLab - Rome 2023

Rome, IT

Calendar of events with IFCC auspices
May 28 - Oct 11,
2018

Virtual Postgraduate Course in Control of Analytical Quality in theClinical Laboratory - MODULE I - VIII

Jun 12 - 15, 2018

XXXVI Nordic Congress of Clinical ChemistryJun 18 - 19, 2018

2nd EFLM Strategic Conference“The end of Laboratory Medicine as we know it?
Handling disruption of Laboratory Medicine in digital health”

Jun 21 - 22, 2018

7th International Symposium on Critical Care Testing and Blood Gases

June 27, 2018

Student Conference prior the Clinical Chemistry Iberoamerican
Symposium and Expolab, Guatemala 2018

Guatemala City, GT

Jun 28 - 29, 2018

Clinical Chemistry Iberoamerican Symposiumand Expolab Guatemala 2018

Guatemala City, GT

Jun 28, 2018

Vietnam Chemical Pathology Course 2018

Ho Chi Min, VN

OnlineHelsinki, FIMannheim, DE
Antibes, FR

Jun 30 - Jul 3, 2018 International Society for Enzymology Conference

Naxos, GR

Jul 13 - 14, 2018

Turning Science Into Caring (TSIC)

Shanghai, CN

Aug 25 - 28, 2018

15th Iranian National Congress of Biochemistry andthe 6th International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Isfahan, IR

Sept 3 - 5, 2018

AACB AIMS 2018 Combined Scientific Meeting

Sydney, AU

Sept 6 - 7, 2018

6th Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Satellite Meetingand Inaugural Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
Educational Workshop

Sydney, AU

Sept 6 - 8, 2018

The 15th Asian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Ulaanbaatar, MN

Calendar continued on next page

29

Sep 26 - 29, 2018

15th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Clinical Chemistry
and Laboratory Medicine - The foundation for diagnosis and therapy

Mannheim, DE

Sep 30 - Oct 3, 2018

Santorini Conference “Systems medicine and personalised health& therapy” - “The odyssey from hope to practice”

Santorini, GR

Oct 3 - 5, 2018

26th BCLF Meeting and 6th National Congress of MSMBLM

Skopje, MK

Oct 10 - 13, 2018

5th EFLM UEMS European Congress in Laboratory Medicine

Antalya, TR

Oct 10 - 13, 2018

16th National Congress of Clinical Chemistry

Oct 15 - 20, 2018

Conference of the Association of Clinical Chemists of Nigeria (ACCN)

Lagos, NG

Oct 16 - 17, 20182èmes Journées Francophones de Biologie Médicale

Paris, FR

Oct 17 - 20, 2018

XIII Ecuadorian Congress of Clinical Biochemistry and IX International
Congress of Clinical Biochemistry

Oct 18 - 19, 2018

Journées de l’innovation en biologie (JIB 2018)

Oct 23 - 25, 2018

Patologia e Medicina di Laboratorio 4.0

Acicastello, IT

International Conference on Laboratory Medicine"Laboratory Medıcıne: 25 Years On"

Padova, IT

Oct 30, 2018

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Nov 1 - 4, 2018

2nd International Cell Death Research Congress

Izmir, TR

Nov 1 - 3, 2018

LMCE 2018 and KSLM 59th Annual Meeting

Seoul, KR

Nov 9 - 12, 2018

18º Congreso Internacional del Colegio Nacional de Bacteriología

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Publisher
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