Coordinators: B. Tzounakas (Asst. Prof.), K. Nika (Asst.Prof.)

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide a critical understanding of human disorders at a molecular and cellular level, as well as to equip students with the skills necessary for the execution and interpretation of biochemical and immunological analyses. Within the course, postgraduate students are expected to acquire a thorough understanding of the molecular basis of disease diagnosis, monitoring and management.

Emphasis is placed on the understanding of laboratory techniques including molecular testing for COVID-19 antibody measurement, HLA typing, cytometry, ELISA, PCR, q-RTPCR and NGS.

Simultaneously, the course seeks to acquaint students with the application of laboratory methods in clinical practice through hands-on training at the Biochemistry Laboratory of the General University Hospital of Patras.

Course Content

• Introduction to Medical Biochemistry: Personnel safety in a clinical chemistry or hematology lab and laboratory space design. Reliability of analytical methods, errors and mistakes in clinical chemistry analysis, quality of materials and instruments, performance of analyses, physiological values, selection and development of an analytical method, quality control programs.
• Analytical methods and enzymes: Enzymes as diagnostic tools and as chemicals reagents, plasma enzymes, methods of monitoring a reaction, classification of methods.
• Ιmmunochemistry: Basic concepts of Ιmmunology, basic definitions of Immunochemistry, nomenclature and macromolecular structure of immunoglobulins, relationship between structure and biological role of immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, immunochemical detections.
• Cellular immunology: T cell pathogenesis, B cell pathogenesis, autoimmune diseases, cancer immunology, transplantation hypersensitivity reactions.
• Acid-base balance and clinical applications: Water and electrolyte homeostasis, body’s buffer solutions, disorders and regulation.
• Metabolic disorders: disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, biochemistry of cardiac function, biochemical factors affecting atherosclerosis, disorders of amino acid and protein metabolism, disorders of nucleotide metabolism, disorders of porphyrin metabolism.
• Laboratory tests: Evaluation of renal, liver, pancreatic and gastrointestinal function.
• Biochemical and microbial factors affecting atheromatosis.

Laboratory training

As part of the training of postgraduate students in the direction of Pathobiochemistry, students will be trained in the following techniques and detections:

• ELISA
• FACS
• IEF
• DNA Microarrays
• HPLC
• q-RTPCR
• Construction and analysis of quality control maps
• Quantification of viral load in patients with HIV and detection of viral mutations
• Practical training in Clinical Biochemistry (additional training at the General University Hospital in specialized analytical methods, such as flame photometry, use of automated analyzers, conductometry, etc.)