Diagnostica: Probleme aus der Sicht des Chemikers

Abstract

Diagnostics: Problems from the chemist’s view point

Many diseases lead to qualitative and/or quantitative alterations of metabolic products in body fluids. Their determinations serve as additional tools for the physician to establish the diagnosis of a disease by confirming his clinical impression and as tools to monitor the applied therapy. The development of test systems (Diagnostics) having the appropriate sensitivity and specificity combined with economy is the field in which the chemist is faced with a great variety of challenging problems of multidisciplinary nature. Some of them are discussed using as examples an in vivo pancreatic function test and an in vitro test with potential usefulness for monitoring diabetic patients.