Acute respiratory infections are responsible for an estimated 4 million deaths annually worldwide, and are the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years. Over 1 million people in the United States are hospitalized each year with pneumonia. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects one third of world’s population. There are more than 1 million tuberculosis-related deaths worldwide each year. Emerging resistance to multiple available antimicrobial agents has hampered the ability to treat tuberculosis and hospital-acquired respiratory infections. The laboratory diagnosis of respiratory infections is an important part of patient management and treatment. In addition to culture isolation of pathogens, advances have been made in a number of non-culture methods. This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicinee reviews state-of-the-art laboratory diagnosis of respiratory infections, as well as the testing of susceptibility to antibiotics and antiviral agents. Among some of the respiratory infections covered are: Cystic fibrosis infections; Pertussis; Pharyngitis; Fungal infections. Among the diagnostic tests are: Interferon gamma release assays; Molecuar diagnosis of TB; Urine antigen tests and discussion of Antibiotic resistance in nosocomial respiratory infections.

Topics in this clinically focused publication devoted to Cardiac Markers include: Overview of cardiac markers in heart disease; Methodologies for measurement of cardiac markers; Natriuretic peptides in HF and ACS; Tropoinins and high sensitivity troponins; Point-of-care testing for cardiac markers; ST-2 and galectin 3 in patients with heart failure; Cardiac markers following heart surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention; Cholesterol, lipoproteins, high sensitivity CRP and other risk factors for atherosclerosis; Myocarditis and cardiac transplant and rejection; New molecular genetic tests in the diagnosis of heart disease; Biomarkers for cholesterol balance.

Molecular pathology has significantly matured over the past decade to establish itself as a discipline in its own right. Patient diagnosis, prognosis, management and care have been influenced by molecular pathology testing algorithms on a global scale. Whether it pertains to carrier status of deleterious genes, diagnosis by molecular techniques, assessment of appropriate remission post treatment, parentage or forensics testing – molecular pathology continues to increase its presence and influence in the diagnostic laboratory armamentarium. Furthermore, intellectualization and proprietization of molecular pathology with respect to the discovery of new genes and or new techniques continues to pose new challenges of test ownership, legalities, liabilities, widespread acceptance and utility. This issue of Laboratory Clinics seeks to provide selective state of the art understanding of molecular pathology with respect to its relationship to key pathology disciplines as well as the current challenges and promise for the future.

This issue focuses on three disease sections: Diabetes, Hematology and Coagulation, and covers diagnostic and management issues during pregnancy of selected topics in each section. The chapters cover new concepts, evolving management and important impacts on the mother and unborn child.

Topics in this clinically focused publication devoted to Anticoagulants are: Antithrombin clinical applications and anti-inflammatory effects; Pharmacology and laboratory testing of oral direct thrombin inhibitor Dabigatran; Pharmacology and laboratory testing of the oral Xa inhibitors; Clinical use of the new oral anticoagulants; Pharmacology and safety of new oral anticoagulants-the challenge of bleeding; Emergency reversal of Warfarin anticoagulation - prothrombin complex concentrate compared with plasma; Prothrombin complex concentrate as reversal agent for new oral anticoagulants - lessons from prelinical models; Bleeding with new oral anticoagulants - clinical presentation and management; Treatment of ICH with new oral anticoagulants - a neurologist's view; Management of anticoagulation agents in trauma patients; and Anticoagulation and pediatric patients.

The Human Biome is a complex and essential biological system within the human body. The adult human harbors some 100 trillion bacteria in his gut alone. Balance of this system is essential to good health. This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine focuses on treatments to realign this balance as well as advances in understanding the system in general. Topics include: Changes in microbiome in GERD; The relationship of microbiome, inflammation, and colon cancer; Gut microbiome and host genetics in Crohn's disease; Association of oral microbiome with head and neck cancer; The vaginal microbiome-disease, genetics and the environment;, The human virome in children and its relationship to febrile illness; Gut microbiome in irritable bowel syndrome; The neonatal microbiome and necrotizing enterocolitis; Fecal microbiota transplantation for clostridium difficile Infection.

This issue on Diagnostic Testing for Enteric Patholgens is led by two experts in the field of clinical pathology: Alexander J. McAdam and Collette Fitzgerald. Topics include Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia; Escherichia coli; Campylobacter; Clostridium difficile; Use of markers of intestinal inflammation for diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis; Antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacteria that cause gastroenteritis; Norovirus; Rotavirus; Intestinal Abebae; Intestinal coccidia and cryptosporidium; Intestinal microsporidia; and Multiplex PCR tests for gastroentieritis. An added features of this issues a Q and A on a controversial area in clinical microbiology, related to STI testing. Several participants from different fields each answer the same series of questions; specialists from clinical laboratory medicine, public health and clinical patient care participate. Each question is introduced by the lead Editors.