GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY APPLIED TO BIOTECHNOLOGY 4

Module CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY APPLIED TO BIOTECHNOLOGY

1. Knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire a solid foundation in Clinical Biochemistry, including the principles of laboratory instrumentation and methodologies in clinical chemistry and biochemistry. The course will cover urinalysis testing procedures, associated disease entities, and analysis of other body fluids. Topics include clinical testing using automated and manual methods, assessment of pancreatic function, intestinal absorption, renal and liver function, enzymes, electrolytes, blood gases, lipids, toxicology, urinalysis, and the biochemical evaluation of endocrinological, neurological, dysmetabolic, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding

Students will be able to apply laboratory methods and instrumentation to evaluate clinical samples, perform biochemical tests accurately, and interpret results in the context of patient health, diagnosis, and prognosis. Practical skills will be developed for both manual and automated laboratory techniques.

3. Making judgements

Students will develop the ability to critically assess the reliability, accuracy, and clinical relevance of laboratory tests, interpreting biochemical data in relation to various pathological and disease conditions.

4. Communication skills

Students will be able to communicate laboratory findings, interpretations, and clinical implications clearly and effectively, using appropriate scientific terminology in both academic and professional contexts.

5. Learning skills

Students will develop independent learning skills, enabling them to deepen and update their knowledge in clinical biochemistry and laboratory medicine, including advances in analytical methods and diagnostic approaches.

Equal opportunities

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, students may request an individual meeting to arrange appropriate compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, according to the learning objectives and their specific needs.

Frontal teaching, Individual study.

Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD: To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the teaching objectives and specifications needs. It is also possible to contact the CInAP contact person (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of the Department of Biomedical and Biotechonological Sciences.

If the teaching is given in a mixed or remote way, the necessary changes may be introduced with respect to what was previously reported, in order to carry out the program reported in the syllabus.

1. The use of laboratory data in clinical practice,  methods of acquisition of laboratory data and  interpretation of biochemical data.
2. Different tests in clinical biochemistry and clinical molecular biology
3. Laboratory investigations for the differential diagnosis of the main pathological conditions.
4. Analytical profiles for the interpretation of the meaning of laboratory diagnostic tests in the main pathologies.
   
5. Assessment of liver function and diagnosis of jaundice, acute and chronic diseases of the liver, liver function and hepatitis tests, alcoholism) 
6. Blood count, morphological test of blood cells, hemoglobinopathies.
   
7. Heme synthesis disorders and porphyrias and their laboratory evaluation.
   
8. Hemostasis and coagulation
   
9. Disorders of amino acid metabolism (Phenylketonuria, Hyperhomocysteinemia, Hyperammoniaemia).
   
10. Laboratory evaluation of purine metabolism disorders (hyperuricemia, gout).
    
11. Markers tumorali e regolazione delle vie metaboliche nei tumori; aspetti cellulari e molecolari di biochimica clinica, tests diagnostici molecolari.

• Biochimica Clinica e Medicina di Laboratorio, Marcello Ciaccio e Giuseppe Lippi, Edises
• Medicina di Laboratorio, G. Federici (Autore), – Mc GrawHill Medicina di laboratorio.
  
• Medicina di Laboratorio. Logica e patologia clinica, I. Antonozzi, E. Gulletta (Autori) - Piccin
• Teacher's slides

Oral exam. Verification of learning can also be carried out electronically, should conditions require it.

The evaluation of the knowledge acquired takes place through an oral exam. The grade is expressed on a scale of thirty, up to a maximum of 30/30 cum laude.

The following parameters will be taken into account to assign the final grade:

• Score 29-30 with honors: The student demonstrates in-depth knowledge of the topics, promptly and correctly integrates and critically analyzes the situations presented, independently solving even very complex problems. He has excellent communication skills and competently masters the language adopted in clinical biochemistry and clinical molecular biology.

• Score 26-28: The student has a good understanding of the topics, is able to integrate and analyze the situations presented critically and logically, explains the topics clearly using appropriate scientific language.

• Score 22-25: The student has a fair understanding of the topics, even if limited to the main areas. He is able to integrate and critically analyze the situations presented, although not always in a linear way, and presents the topics quite clearly with moderate linguistic competence.

• Score 18-21: The student has minimal knowledge of the topics, has a modest ability to integrate and critically analyze the situations presented and presents the topics clearly enough, although his/her linguistic competence may be poorly developed.

• Exam not passed: The student does not have the minimum required knowledge of the fundamental contents of the course. The ability to use a specific language is minimal or non-existent and the student is not able to independently apply the knowledge acquired.

Blood count indices

Sensitivity and Specificity of methods and diagnostics, Positive and Negative Predictive Value, Diagnostic window

Jaundice

Hepatitis

Tumor markers

Oxidative and non-oxidative metabolism of ethanol

Elisa Test

Tests for the evaluation of the extrinsic pathway

Coagulation Tests 

The proteins of the coagulation phase