Editorial
Today we are pleased to send you our digital Newsletter which aims to provide you with some important ECAT information and relevant articles in the fields of quality control and/ or laboratory diagnosis in thrombosis & haemostasis.
Enjoy reading.
Petra van Velp
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Survey manual 2025
The Survey Manual 2025 is now available in the Participants Area on our website. Please log in into the Participant Area and select “View Documents”:
Here you can find the Survey Manual 2025.
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Selection of Survey Year on homepage Participants Area
When you now enter at the homepage of the Participant Area you will only see the survey list on the current survey year. See figure below:
Here you can select the survey for which you want to submit results or to get your survey report.
If you want to access surveys and survey reports of previous years you have to first select the corresponding year in the dropdown menu of “Survey Year”.
If you select, for instance, year 2024, you now get the overview of the surveys for that year for which you have been registered.
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New modules in 2025
In 2025 we have added two new modules to our programme: Light Transmission Aggregometry (LTA) and functional HIT testing.
Light Transmission Aggregometry (LTA):
After a successful pilot study in 2024 we now start with regular surveys for platelet light transmission aggregometry (LTA). Participants will receive tubes to which platelet-rich plasma from a local healthy donor has to be added. The platelet-rich plasma has to be prepared according to the laboratory's own procedure. Subsequently platelet light transmission aggregometry has to be performed with different agonists at locally used concentrations. A variety of agonists can be tested, e.g. collagen, ADP, arachidonic acid, ristocetin. The maximum aggregation for each condition has to be reported. Each survey includes two different samples reflecting clinical samples. The maximum required amount of platelet-rich plasma per sample is 3 mL. This survey will run 2 times per year.
Functional HIT testing:
In 2025 regular surveys for functional HIT testing (HIT-II module) will be introduced. For this module citrated plasma will be used. Different types of functional HIT tests, like aggregometry, ATP release, flow cytometry, HIPA, HIMEA and SRA, can be used.
Each survey includes two different samples. This survey will run 2 times per year.
If you are interested in these new modules and not yet registered, please contact the ECAT office: info@ecat.nl
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Clotpedia
As we have announced before, last Autumn ECAT has launched a new educational website: CLOTPEDIA.
We invite you to visit Clotpedia and experience this valuable resource for anybody working in a laboratory in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis.
At the Clotpedia you can find the following marker:
Here you can ask question or write us suggestions.
A participant asked the following question:
How can I find information about fibrinogen testing on this website?
Information at the Clotpedia website can be found by using the “Search” function. If you type “Fibrinogen” into the Search function, you get several options:
You can select one of the options given. Let’s assume you select “Recommendations on fibrinogen assays …..”. You now enter on a page were you have access to an ICSH laboratory guideline on fibrinogen assays, thrombin clotting time and related tests in the investigation of bleeding disorders.
At the bottom of the page you see several related items to the topic on this page, e.g. analytical information, a case study and haemostastic cascades. If you select “Cases” you may appreciate that there is a case study available on Dysfibrinogenemia. If you select this case study you can subsequently find a report on an ECAT case study on bleeding disorders on this topic.
Also at the bottom of this page you will see several related items to the topic on this page. This way you can continue searching.
We hope that these instructions help you to find a lot of information on the Clotpedia website.
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ECAT information:
Functional Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Pilot Study
In Autumn 2024 we performed a pilot study on testing for functional Heparin-Induced-Thrombocytopenia (HIT). The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of external quality assessment surveys for functional HIT. Forty-four laboratories participated in this pilot; 33 laboratories actually reported results. Here is a summary of the results obtained in this pilot study. Read more
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ECAT information:
Diagnosis of Hypofibrinogenemia (Case study on Bleeding Disorder 2024-CBD)
Diagnosis of Hypofibrinogenemia (Case study on Bleeding Disorder 2024-CBD)
Claudia van Rijn1, Piet Meijer1
1. ECAT foundation, Voorschoten. The Netherlands
Introduction
Each year the ECAT Foundation organises a special survey based on a case study for bleeding disorders. This case study focuses on both analytical aspects and the clinical interpretation of laboratory results. In 2024 seventy-five participants received a case description together with a corresponding plasma sample. They were asked to perform relevant diagnostic laboratory tests and to interpret the clinical outcome of the case. Sixty-four participants responded and submitted the results of laboratory tests performed. The aim of this case study is to enhance the capability of laboratories to establish a robust strategy of laboratory testing which will benefit the patient.
Case description
The participants received the following case description:
“A 20-year-old woman, reports to the haematologist that she has been referred by her dentist for coagulation analysis because wisdom teeth need to be extracted. The patient indicates that she suffers from gum bleeding while brushing her teeth. She also has a history of severe menstrual blood loss, for which she takes tranexamic acid but no history of spontaneous bleeding. The patient does not take other medication”.
The sample used in this case study was from a patient with hypofibrinogenemia. Read more
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ECAT information:
New Publications
We are proud to announce two recent publications in which ECAT was involved.
Together with one of our participants in France, CHU Lyon-Hémostase-QUALITE, Lyon, France, we published a case study on the complementarity value of Bayesian internal quality control results and the bivariate z-score analysis in external quality assessment. Thanks also to the input of prof. dr. Panagiotis Tsiamyrtzis, our statistical advisor.
Abstract
It is important that a clinical laboratory has implemented appropriate procedures for quality
control, which includes both internal quality control (IQC) and external quality assessment (EQA) with the common goal to detect systematic errors and random errors. It is the case for both the HemohubR Bayesian tools for IQC results interpretation and the ECAT EQA optimised bivariate z-scores analysis. On a concrete case study, we demonstrate both the higher sensitivity and specificity of optimised bivariate z-scores analysis than the univariate approach. The Bayesian IQC results interpretation like the ECAT analysis confirmed the explicit conclusion i.e. an increase of the random error corresponding to the increase of the inter assay coefficient of variation (CV) at the date of EQA samples runs. Improvement of repaired dysfunction could be then daily observed on IQC results and then confirmed on EQA results thanks to the complementarity of the two approaches. (Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 2024 Vol. 82 Issue 6 Pages 1-6)
This publication can be approached with the following link:
https://www.jle.com/en/revues/abc/e-docs/complementarity_between_bayesian_internal_quality_control_results_management_and_external_quality_assessment_bivariate_z_score_analysis_application_to_a_concrete_case_study_352259/article.phtml
In 2023 we published a study on the within-subject and between-subject biological variation data of coagulation and fibrinolytic measurands (1). In this meta-analysis data with a study duration > 1 week were included. Now a meta-analysis is performed on published biological variation data with a study duration up to 7 days.
This publication is now available online and can be approached by the following link:
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1479/html
(1) Hollestelle, M.J., A.H. Kristoffersen, R.N. Idema, P. Meijer, S. Sandberg, M.P.M. de Maat, et al., Systematic review and meta-analysis of within-subject and between-subject biological variation data of coagulation and fibrinolytic measurands. Clin Chem Lab Med, 2023; 61: 1470-1480
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Literature Highlights:
Recent publications
Below we list some interesting recent publications in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis, and laboratory diagnostics. Because of the enormous number of publications we have limited our reporting to just a small list of interesting publications. It is not our intention to provide you with a complete overview. We hope this list supports you in your awareness of interesting publications.
Laboratory testing
- Saadalla, A., C.L. Novis, D. Banerjee, T. Martins, B. Holloway, M. Ann Aure, et al., Comparative assessment of the diagnostic performances of particle-based multianalyte technology and commercial ELISA for antiphospholipid autoantibody testing. Clin Chim Acta, 2024; 562: 119849.
- Wakui, M., Y. Fujimori, Y. Ozaki, S. Oka, M. Ziparo, E. Osada, et al., Comparison of clot waveform analysis with or without adjustment between prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time assays to assess in vitro effects of direct oral anticoagulants. Clin Chim Acta, 2024; 562: 119887.
- Camilleri, E., M. Kruijt, P.L. den Exter, S.C. Cannegieter, N. van Rein, C.M. Cobbaert, et al., Quantitative protein mass spectrometry for multiplex measurement of coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins towards clinical application: What, why and how? Thromb Res, 2024; 241: 109090.
- Tan, J.Y., W.H. Wong, W. Liu, C.K. Yeo, G.H. Goh, H.K. Neo, et al., Effect of lupus anti-coagulant and antiphospholipid antibodies on clot waveform analysis parameters. Thromb Res, 2025; 247: 109268.
Quality
- Jousselme, E., P. Meijer, F. Sobas and P. Tsiamyrtzis, Complementarity between Bayesian Internal Quality Control results management and External Quality Assessment bivariate z-score analysis: application to a concrete case study. Ann Biol Clin (Paris), 2024; 82: 1-6.
- Roys, E.A., K. Viste, R. Kellmann, N.A. Guldhaug, B. Alaour, M.S. Sylte, et al., Estimating Reference Change Values Using Routine Patient Data: A Novel Pathology Database Approach. Clin Chem, 2025; 71: 307-318.
Artificial Intelligence
- Hou, H., R. Zhang and J. Li, Artificial intelligence in the clinical laboratory. Clin Chim Acta, 2024; 559: 119724.
- Lippi, G., C. Mattiuzzi and E.J. Favaloro, Reliability of generative artificial intelligence in identifying the major risk factors for venous thrombosis. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis, 2024; 35: 354-355.
- Lippi, G., C. Mattiuzzi and E.J. Favaloro, Artificial intelligence in the pre-analytical phase: State-of-the art and future perspectives. J Med Biochem, 2024; 43: 1-10.
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Upcoming Events
12th International workshop on Cancer Genetic & Cytogenetic Diagnostics
19-21 May 2025, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
website
World Hemophilia Day
17 April 2025, Online
website
WFH 2025
23 - 25 April 2025, Dubai, U.A.E
website
NATA Annual Symposium 2025
24-26 April 2025, Munich, Germany
website
For more events, please have a look into our Calendar.
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