Feb 8-11 Royal.York Hotel Can Digestive Diseases & Can.Assn.for Liver Study.: FAECAL CALPROTECTIN

No press room = No media present-including CMAJ & Ont.Med. Review) Impressive exhibition (50+) but few visitors. Norwegian-developed SWISS ALPCO system offers OFFICE & LAB test for FAECAL CALPROTECTIN. Diff.Diag.of Abdom.pain,cramping,diarrhoea. INFLAMMATORY Bowel Disease (IBD) vs. Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS) Using Buhlmann Calprotectin assay HIGH LEVELS = IBD (CROHN & ULCERATIVE COLITIS)LOW LEVELS = IBS (suspect FOOD INTOLERANCE & COELIAC DISEASE) Used in Teaching Hospitals: Hamilton, London, Toronto . Stool collected using EasySampler kit @ $8. Extraction using $300 Vortex. "Schebo Quick Prep" for Solid stool "Smart-prep" for solid/liquid stool OFFICE CALchek Blue @ $25/test; LAB/OFFICE: QUANTUM blue using $2500 small casette Quantitative tester.LABORATORY HIGH VOLUME: CALPROTECTIN ELISA. www.alpco.com Values below 50 microgram/gram Unlikely to be inflammation Values above 50 to 100 = mild inflammatory disease: aet NSAID; diverticulae; IBD in remission. Values above 100= ACTIVE ORGANIC DISEASE. GP referral to Specialist imperative. url http://www.alpco.com/content/products/Calprotectin_Assay.aspx

SERUM FREE LIGHT CHAIN ANALYSIS (NOT PAID BY OHIP if orded by GPs & General Medical Clinics)

"BINDING SITE FREELIGHT" serum free light chain analysis Now available PRIVATELY by Gamma Dynacare laboratories. Provided free by OHIP at selected Oncology clinics. Freelite™ Serum Free Light Chain Assays (UK) Freelite™ is a major breakthrough for the detection and monitoring of Multiple MyelomaFreelite Logo (MM) and other B-cell dyscrasia. Freelite™ assays were developed by Binding Site to measure free lambda and free kappa immunoglobulin light chains. Our expertise in the manufacture of antibodies has enabled us to provide a quantifiable, highly specific, automatable free light chain assay for serum. Significant clinical evidence indicates the benefit of Freelite™ serum free light chain assays in initial screening for monoclonal gammopathies. Other benefits include the identification of AL amyloidosis and Nonsecretory MM patients missed by conventional electrophoretic methods, use as a prognostic indicator for progression in myeloma, for risk stratification of MGUS patients, and rapid evaluation of treatment efficacy. Freelite™ is a sensitive, specific marker of kappa and lambda free light chains (FLC) in serum and provides quantitative measurement of: Free kappa in serum Free lambda in serum The serum free kappa/free lambda ratio (κ/λ) The serum free light chain ratio is a strong indicator of monoclonality and is valuable for distinguishing monoclonal from polyclonal diseases.