GC Labs a premium exhibitor at Medlab Middle East and a leading clinical laboratory in South Korea, announced the launch of newborn screening test for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) that upgrades the existing sample collection and storage method while emphasizing the early detection and management of IEM on the occasion of World Rare Disease Day.
Screening test for IEM is performed within 48 to 72 hours after birth by pricking the newborn’s heel and putting a few drops of blood on a filter paper, then screening through immunochemistry analyzer and Tandem Mass Spectrometry (TMS). The test can identify 75 disorders and 7 non-specific conditions at once with simple blood test, including genetic, endocrine, and metabolic disorders.
However, screening for IEM has disadvantage of low accuracy and reliability since the filter paper with which blood is stained is sometimes smudged and stuck to each other. Accordingly, GC Labs developed its own ‘drying cabinet for blood spot specimens’ which can safely store samples to improve the quality of testing. As a result of beta test, the drying time per 1 to 8 samples is reduced by more than half. Also, the individual storage method has proved possible to eliminate the sample loss, damage, and contamination.
About 85% of rare diseases are congenital diseases caused by genetic mutations, and more than half of them occur in infants and older children. Newborns who often cry or vomit due to unknown cause may miss the optimal treatment period as it is difficult to detect illness by general symptoms. If they remain undetected and untreated at birth, the results could be devastating, leading to disability for life or even death in extreme case. Therefore, early detection is of paramount importance.
“If diagnosed early in the neonatal period, there is an excellent chance of curing IEM. But sometimes, the stability of sample was low due to existing inefficient collection and storage system, which leads to inaccurate results. Thus, GC Labs developed the ‘drying cabinet for blood spot specimens’ exclusively improving sample stability and test accuracy. GC Labs not only provides best quality, but also the widest range of test panels compared to global standard, thus expecting to receive many requests from global institutions” says Dr. Ahram Yi, M.D., M.Sc., Doctor of Laboratory Medicine at GC Labs.
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About GC Labs
GC Labs is a leading clinical laboratory that also specializes in infectious diseases and serves as part of the Global Diagnostics Network. GC Labs has enabled patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment with unrivalled quality of routine and specialized clinical tests. Around 800 employees at GC Labs offer more than 5,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine tests to highly esoteric molecular and genetic assays.
With more than 40 years of accumulated know-how, GC Labs values the principles of providing the best treatment for patients even in unpredictable medical environments through passionate and ceaseless efforts. Not only domestically, but also GC Labs has managed to expand overseas by entering a Lab Service Agreement with 20 institutions worldwide. GC Labs is qualified with world-class medical standards of medical manpower, level and infrastructure.
For further information, please visit our official website www.gclabs.co.kr/eng.
