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Clinical Biochemistry

Code: 100871 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500252 Biochemistry OB 3

Contact

Name:
Francesca Canalias Reverter
Email:
francesca.canalias@uab.cat

Teachers

Josefina Mora Brugues
Francisco Blanco Vaca
Roser Ferrer Costa
Alfredo Jesús Miñano Molina

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The prerequisites to follow the course are a working knowledge of the material of the courses "Biochemistry I and II" of the 1st year of the degree. Furthermore, although not official, it is advisable to have passed the course "Animal Physiology".


Objectives and Contextualisation

Clinical Biochemistry is a mandatory course of the 3rd year of the degree.

Clinical Biochemistry aims to initiate the student in understanding the in vitro study of the biological properties that contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of diseases and disease states in humans.

The general objectives of the course are:

1) Familiarize students with the specific characteristics of a laboratory of clinical biochemistry.
2) Understanding the pathophysiology and molecular basis of the most prevalent diseases.
3) Know the analytical methods commonly used in the clinical laboratory.
4) Know how can contribute the clinical laboratory to assess the health status of individuals.

At the end of the course the student will know: the pathophysiological bases of the most relevant and prevalent diseases in our population; the main biological properties that are altered in these diseases and are examined in a clinical biochemistry laboratory; the procedures for the biological properties measurement and test; and their semiologic characteristics. It will also be familiar with the use of tools for the operation in a clinical biochemistry laboratory: instructions or work protocols, implementation of internal control quality program, participation in an external quality evaluation programs and use of automated measurement systems.


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Collaborate with other work colleagues.
  • Display knowledge of the biochemical and genetic changes that occur in many pathologies and explain the molecular mechanisms involved in these changes.
  • Interpret experimental results and identify consistent and inconsistent elements.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Make an oral, written and visual presentation of one's work to a professional or non-professional audience in English and understand the language and proposals of other specialists.
  • Manage information and the organisation and planning of work.
  • Read specialised texts both in English and one's own language.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take responsibility for one's own learning after receiving general instructions.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Think in an integrated manner and approach problems from different perspectives.
  • Understand the language and proposals of other specialists.
  • Use ICT for communication, information searching, data processing and calculations.
  • Use clinical laboratory techniques to determine biochemical and genetic markers of different pathologies and critically assess the results, speculating on the nature of any possible underlying pathologies.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  2. Collaborate with other work colleagues.
  3. Describe and use techniques from biochemistry and molecular biology for detecting mutations responsible for genetic diseases in different types of samples and for prenatal diagnosis.
  4. Describe the processes, the terminology and the metrological and semiological concepts used in a clinical laboratory.
  5. Explain the physiopathological bases and the biochemical markers of the most prevalent diseases in our population.
  6. Identify the principal analytical procedures used to measure biochemical magnitudes.
  7. Interpret and integrate the analytical data from the principal biochemical and molecular genetics tests for the screening, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of pathologies.
  8. Interpret experimental results and identify consistent and inconsistent elements.
  9. Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  10. Make an oral, written and visual presentation of one's work to a professional or non-professional audience in English and understand the language and proposals of other specialists.
  11. Manage information and the organisation and planning of work.
  12. Read specialised texts both in English and one's own language.
  13. Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  14. Take responsibility for one's own learning after receiving general instructions.
  15. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  16. Think in an integrated manner and approach problems from different perspectives.
  17. Understand the language and proposals of other specialists.
  18. Use ICT for communication, information searching, data processing and calculations.

Content

Theme I. Metrological and semiological aspects of clinical laboratory

INTRODUCTION. Concepts. Pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases of the clinical laboratory. Collection, preparation and preservation of specimens. Pre-analytical variability.

METROLOGY. Values and quantities, observations and measurements. Measures and errors. Random error: precision. Systematic error: trueness. The true value. Calibration and traceability. Specificity. Error of measurement: accuracy and uncertainty. Measuring analytical range. Analytical sensitivity. Detectability.

QUALITOLOGY. Control materials. Basis of internal control: control rules and charts. Algorithms. External quality assessment programs.

BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY AND REFERENCE VALUES. Intra- and inter-individual biological variability. Theory of reference values. Transversal and longitudinal comparisons. Production of reference values.

SEMIOLOGY. Discriminant capacity. Cut-off  value. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Prevalence and predictive value. Likelihood ratio. Receiver operating curves (ROC).
 
Theme II. Biochemical assessment of metabolic pathways

PROTEINS. Classification of plasma proteins. Methods of identification, detection and quantification. Identification of electrophoretic profiles. Hyperproteinemia and hypoproteinemia. Polyclonal and monoclonal hyperimmunoglobulinemia. Paraprotein.

ENZYMES. Diagnostic usefulness of measuring plasma enzymes. Measuring the catalytic concentration and the mass concentration. Transformation and factors that affect it. Calibration. Standardization measures. Major diagnostic enzymes of interest.

CARBOHYDRATES. Hormonal control of glucose homeostasis. Hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus and alterations in glucose tolerance. Procedures for measuring glucose, hemoglobin A1c and albumin in urine.

LIPOPROTEINS. Structure and classification of plasma lipoproteins. Procedures for the study of dyslipidemia: total cholesterol and triglyceride. Separation of lipoproteins, VLDL cholesterol, HDL and LDL. Apolipoproteins. Classification of dyslipidemia. Genetic basis. Atherothrombosis: coronary heart disease and risk factors.

CALCIUM. Hormonal regulation of calcium homeostasis. Hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia. Bone metabolism. Biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption. Metabolic bone. Procedures for measuring biochemical markers of mineral metabolism.

ACID-BASE BALANCE. Homeostasis acid-base: blood pH buffers. Origin of pH variations. Compensatory mechanisms. Determination of pH, pCO2 and pO2. Alterations of the acid-base balance. Respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.

Theme III. Biochemical assessment of the function of organs and systems

LIVER FUNCTION. Hepatobiliary system. Liver functions. Catabolism of hemoglobin. Hepatobiliary disease. Laboratory tests for evaluation. Investigation of jaundice: bilirubin determination.

CARDIAC AND MUSCULAR FUNCTIONS. Myocardial infarction and angina. Mechanisms. Meaning diagnostic procedures and measuring creatine kinase and its isoenzymes, myoglobin and troponin. Natriuretic peptides in the diagnosis of heart failure. Myopathies: progressive muscular dystrophy, rhabdomyolysis and polymyositis.

RENAL FUNCTION. Formation of urine and renal functions. Kidney disease: glomerulonephritis, tubular diseases, kidney failure, diabetic nephropathy, renouretral lithiasis. Laboratory tests for evaluation: urea, creatinine, urate, clearance testing, protein and kidney stones.

THYROID FUNCTION. Thyroid. Synthesis, transport, metabolism and regulation of thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

GONADAL AND GESTATIONAL FUNCTIONS. Ovarian function. Hormonal studies: prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, androgen and gonadotropins. Evaluation of infertility. Testicular function. Alterations: hypogonadism, infertility, disorders of puberty. Diagnosis and monitoring of pregnancy. Evaluation of fetus-placental unit.

BIOCHEMISTRY OF CANCER AND TUMOR MARKERS. Concept and classification. Clinical utility. Dynamic interpretation of the results. Main markers: CEA, AFP, b-hCG, PSA, CA19.9, CA125 and CA15.3. Application in different types of tumors. Concept of hereditary cancer. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 35 1.4 4, 3, 5, 6, 7
Seminars 10 0.4 18, 2, 4, 3, 5, 11, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 10
Type: Supervised      
Group tutorials 4 0.16 2, 11, 7, 8, 12, 16, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Evaluation (exams and oral presentations) 8 0.32 18, 2, 4, 3, 5, 11, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 10, 14
Individual study 60 2.4 18, 2, 4, 3, 5, 11, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 14
Solving problems and practical cases 23 0.92 2, 11, 7, 8, 12, 16, 14

The teaching methodology consists of lectures and seminars. The teaching materials for these activities can be found on the Virtual Campus.

Lectures: taught in master classes where students acquire basic knowledge of the subject by attending classes and supplementing them with individual study of the topics explained. The lectures are for the whole group.

Seminars: discuss, develop and present case studies, clinical cases and problems. The knowledge acquired in the lectures and individual study will be applied to solve cases and problems. Students work in small groups supervised by the teacher, solving proposed cases and after exposing them to class. The aim of the seminars is to promote the capacity for analysis and synthesis, the critical reasoning and the ability to solve cases and problems.

Additionally students can have specific tutorials.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
1t Midterm exam 35 % 3 0.12 1, 15, 13, 4, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 16
2d Midterm exam 35 % 3 0.12 1, 15, 13, 4, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 16
Clinical cases 20 % 2 0.08 18, 2, 4, 3, 17, 5, 11, 6, 7, 8, 12, 10, 14
Problems test 10 % 2 0.08 2, 17, 11, 6, 7, 8, 14

Evaluation activities


The assessment of the course is continuous and will be evaluated both individually and in group activities. All assessment activities are obligatory. None of the assessment activities represent more than 50% of the final grade.


(1) 1t Midterm exam (35 % of the final grade), written tests on basic concepts of the course. The type will be multiple choice questions (50 %) and short questions (50 %) of the subjects developed in the lectures.  It is necessary that the mark of the test is ≥ 4.7 to overcome it.

(2) 2d Midterm exam (35 % of the final grade), written tests on basic concepts of the course. The type will be multiple choice questions (50 %) and short questions (50 %) of the subjects developed in the lectures.  It is necessary that the mark of the test is ≥ 4.7 to overcome it.

(3) Test problems (10 % of the final grade), evaluation of the problem classes. There is no possibility of re-assessment.

(4) Clinical case (20 % of the final grade), consists of two parts: presentation of the case (15 %) in group of two students or individually, content and oral presentation and writing is evaluated; the clinical case presented must be submitted through the Virtual Campus in the deadline. The cases presented but not submitted are not evaluated. To get the remaining 5 % the student must participate by asking questions about the cases presented in class and at the request of the teacher. There is no possibility of re-assessment.

Re-assessment exam (70 % of the final grade), for those students who have not passed the midterm exams or who want to mark up. The examination will be the entire subject matter (no individual midterm re-assessment). The type will be multiple choice questions (50 %) and short questions (50 %) of the subjects developed in the lectures and seminars. It is necessary that the mark is ≥ 4.7 to overcome it. To be eligible for the retake process, the student should have been previously evaluated in a set of activities equaling at least 65 % of the final score of the course.

Single assessment

Students taking the single assessment must present the clinical case in person on the assigned day (attendance on the other seminar days is not mandatory). The assessment and the weight on the final grade will be the same as those of the continuous assessment (20 %).

The single assessment consists of a single summative test (with multiple-choice questions, short questions and problems) on the content of the entire theory program and the program of problem-based seminars.

The grade obtained in the synthesis test is 80 % of the final grade of the subject and the grade obtained in the presentation of the clinical case 20 %.

The single assessment exam will coincide with the same date fixed in the calendar for the last continuous assessment exam (2nd midterm) and the same recovery system will be applied as for the continuous assessment.

 

You must consider:

To pass the course you must get at least ≥ 5.0 in the final mark. The non-execution of any of the assessment activities is a zero in that activity.

Total or partial plagiarism from any other source in any assessed activity will automatically to be considered as a fail.

The student will be graded as "No Avaluable" if the weighthin of all conducted evaluation activities is less than 50 %.

Repeating students keep marks of the test problems and clinical case activities evaluated for the next academic course. If students do not pass thecourse in this period, they must return all seminars activities.

 

 


Bibliography

Books

BIOQUÍMICA CLÍNICA Y PATOLOGÍA MOLECULAR. X Fuentes Arderiu, MJ Castiñeiras Lacambra, JM Queraltó Compañó. Vol. I and II, 2nd ed. Editorial Reverté: Barcelona, 1998

CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY. A Gaw, R Srivastava. Netherlands: Elsevier health Sciences, 2013 (e-book)

CLINICAL CHEMISTRY. WJ Marshall, M Lapsley. Edinburgh: Elsevier, 2016 (e-book)

HENRY'S CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT BY LABORATORY METHODS. JB Henry. Vols. 1 and 2. Elsevier UK, 2016

TIETZ FUNDAMENTALS OF CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS. CA Burtis, DE Bruns, eds. 7th ed. Elsevier Saunders: St. Louis, MO, 2015

TIETZ TEXTBOOK OF CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS. N Rifai, AR Horvath and CT Wittwer, eds. 6th ed. Elsevier: St. Louis, MO, 2018 (reference book)

 

Web pages related to the clinical laboratory (see the Virtual Campus)


Software

Thre si not specific software for this course


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 331 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 332 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 33 Catalan second semester morning-mixed