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Dimitrios J.
Gourgiotis
Professor of Clinical Biochemistry
Medical School - 2nd Department of Pediatrics
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Faculty of
Mother's & Child's-Health (F.M.C.H)
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The laboratory was established in parallel with the 2nd Pediatric Clinic and supports Educational, Research, Clinical and Laboratory projects (PD 801, GG 262, 11.22.1975).
Educational Contribution:
Courses and practical applications that are necessary for the completion of studies of medical students and of medical residents in Pediatrics.
Such applications include:
- General principles of biochemical tests and quality control.
- Evaluation of laboratory tests.
- Searching of literature using the internet (Scopus, PubMed), Impact Factor importance (I.F), reports (Citation) and scientific quality index (h-index).
- Basic statistical concepts and general use of statistical packages (SPSS Statistics).
- Bibliographic information relating to the laboratory.
In releasing pediatric content notes, distributed freely to undergraduate and graduate students.
Training and educating physicians, chemists, biologists, pharmacists and other health workers in key sectors of organization and in operation methods of a biochemical laboratory.
With the participation of faculty members, students of clinical sciences and of other health disciplines, dissertations as well as postgraduate and doctoral theses based on molecular techniques (DNA/RNA extraction, RT-PCR, PCR, Real Time PCR, Immunoassays, etc.), immunological techniques (ELISA techniques, RIA and IRMA) and chromatografic methods (HPLC) are carried out in the laboratory.
For Research:.
The Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry & Molecular Diagnostics:
- Specializes in the development of analytical chemistry methods, biochemical and molecular, which contribute to the implementation of research protocols in the 2nd Department of Pediatrics.
- Performs basic research and comprehensive laboratory investigation of specific cases hospitalized in the Second Department of Pediatrics, and other clinical departments of the hospital as well as in corresponding sections nationwide.
- Supports and evaluates a large number of clinical and laboratory studies conducted in the Clinic. The results of these studies lead to scientific work presented in international and Greek conferences and published in international and Greek scientific and medical journals.
- Participates in International and National research programs.
For Clinical-Laboratory Work:.
Annually, more than 10.000 tests, which involve the clinical evaluation of children who are hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital «P&A Kyriakou» and also other hospitals in Attica and all over Greece, take place in the laboratory.
The evaluation of patients takes place through specialized laboratory methods (regarding analytical chemistry, clinical chemistry, enzymology, immunology, molecular diagnostics, pharmacokinetics, extraction and characterization of proteins) and through other methods (Southern and Western blot).
The main domains of interest concern:
- Study of childhood hyperlipidemia using atheroma markers (LDL, sdLDL ΒΝΡ, adiponectin, urotensin ΙΙ) combined with factors of cardiovascular risk (ADMA LpPLA2).
- Study of childhood diabetes mellitus type I regarding early kidney failure and simultaneous evaluation of bone metabolism and carbohydrates metabolism and the role of obesity.
- Estimation of the role and the value of markers, such as hepcidin in cases of children with cystic fibrosis, and in bacterial and virus infections.
- Childhood idiopathic epilepsy with evaluation and characterization of markers, such as Bcl-2 and Caspase-9.
- Study of kidney function through the expression of urinary enzymes, such as NAG, for the diagnosis of trauma or systematic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, kidney syndrome, cystic urinary reflux, kidney stones, perinatal suffocation etc.
- Studies on neonates:
- Effects of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on the function of multiple organs and systems, and also on molecular mechanisms of the mother and embryo/neonate (bone tissue, kidneys, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, immunological system, endocrinal glands, hematopoietic system, growth factors, apoptotic factors)
- Role of lipid tissue as endocrinal gland, through the production of hormones (lipocytokines) on the physiology and pathophysiology of normal pregnancies and pregnancies with IUGR.
- Effects of angiogenic factors in normal pregnancies.
- Role of lipocytokines in pregnancies with Large for Gestation embryos.
- Role of angiogenic factors and molecules that are involved in metabolism in pregnancies with embryonic growth disorders.
- Detection of breast milk molecules which play critical role in bone metabolism.
- Detection of breast milk bioactive molecules which may play significant role in extra-uterine life and in development of metabolic diseases later on.
- «Proteomic markers of early non-invasive detection of preeclampsia »
(«ΑΡΙΣΤΕΙΑ», Propet 1139, 2012) 26/9/2012, ΑΠ12572, password 1139.)
For the last 16 years, the laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry- Molecular Diagnostics is using techniques of molecular biology, studying DNA, RNA, mRNA, miRNAs, and ncRNAs for the identification of molecular markers, regarding the diagnosis, prognosis and the evaluation of treatment response of patients with cancer, such as childhood leukemia. Precisely, these studies are focusing on detecting the levels of pro-apoptotic and antiapoptotic genes in childhood leukemia (BAX, BCL2, BCL2L12) and on the expression levels of miRNAs, a group of promising biomarkers which participate in the regulation of expression of the above genes. Methods involve isolation of peripheral mononuclear blood cells and qualitative and quantitative evaluation of nucleic acids DNA and RNA in cells and tissues. Methods of expression analysis of nucleic acids include polyadenylation of RNA, reverse transcription of RNA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR, multiplex PCR) and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
Laboratory Achievements.
Original research studies on various fields of medical science have been conducted in the Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry - Molecular Diagnostics. The results of these studies have been presented in more than 200 international and Greek conferences and published in over 100 original papers in international peer review journals. Additionally more than 130 doctoral theses have been completed in the laboratory as well as a large number (> 100) of sponsored competitive programs. There are also several significant international (USA, Canada, Europe) and Greek partnerships which contribute to the further expansion of the research work.
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