Using a mass spectrometer from Thermo Fisher, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have identified a biomarker called LRG that could help diagnose acute pediatric appendicitis.
The team believes that the biomarker will help physicians diagnose acute pediatric appendicitis more accurately and efficiently.
The research was carried out on a Thermo Scientific LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer, which discovered several potential biomarkers, including leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG).
Biomarkers are biological indicators, commonly detected in blood, urine or tissue samples, which can reveal key risk indicators for a disease, the presence of a disease or shed light on how a disease may develop in an individual.
In addition to their use in pre-clinical research and clinical diagnosis, biomarkers play a significant role in the early treatment of certain diseases.
The research was inspired by the reality that appendicitis diagnosis often requires long hours in an emergency room and expensive diagnostic imaging procedures.
Even worse, incorrect diagnosis leads to unnecessary surgeries.
The Children's Hospital team used an LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer to study, over an 18-month period, protein and peptides in urine samples from 67 children.
Findings show that the LRG biomarker is a consistent and accurate indicator of appendicitis and that LRG levels directly correlate with the severity of infection.
