The main goal of modern in vitro diagnostics is the early detection of diseases, or risk conditions, the followup of disease processes and to predict prognoses. It improves the quality of human life, through increasing the efficiency of the health care and preventive measures. In vitro diagnostics was placed into the focus of "high-technology" research and development, through the multidisciplinar, integrated utilization of new results in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, together with clinical pathology and other clinical sciences, as well as automatization, informatics and quality control.

The aim of the project is the multidisciplinar, coordinated utilization of theoretical and practical expertise, technical background, available at the Faculties of Natural Sciences, Medicine and Pharmacy of the University of Szeged, and at the Polyclinic of the Hospitaller Brothers St John of God, together with companies, interested and active in the field of research and development in vitro diagnostics. These companies are: 77 Elektronika co., active in development of equipment, Roche Hungary co, Diagnostic Division, interested in development of new in vitro tests in molecular and cell biology, and the QualiCont in vitro Diagnostic Quality Control non profit organization, serving diagnostic laboratories with external quality control programmes in Hungary.

Basic research is carried out in the frame of the project in the field of non invasive monitoring of blood glucose level. The pathobiochemistry and diagnostic utilization of cytokines and tissue hormones, with particular interest to myocardial adaptation, and muscle regeneration is under study.

There is growing evidence that proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in a variety of cardiac pathophysiological conditions. The circulating tumor necrosis factor, (TNF), IL-6 sIL-6R and sFAS was determined with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Elevated levels of TNF and IL-6 were found in 85% of the patients with DCM and HCM, whereas only the IL-6 level was elevated in HCM patients. Local TNF and IL-6 was detected only in biopsy samples of DCM and IHD patients; Bcl2 expression only in HCD. The highest level of sIL-6 was detected in the HCM group, whereas the sFAS concentration was pronounced in DCM patients. The TNF synthesis and apoptosis may have pathological importance in DCM and IHD, whereas anti-apoptotoc processes (Bcl2) can influence the development of hypertrophy.

The molecular events implicated in rubella virus-induced cell death was investigated in an effort to gain some insight into the teratogenic effects of this virus, and the role of p53-dependent apoptotic pathway in cell culture. The steady state level of a transactivating p63 isotype is highly increased in rubella virus-infected VERO cell. Thus, our data indicate that multiple pathways of apoptosis are involved in the cellular response to rubella, and Tap63 is a potential indicator of cell death in this virus model.

Applied research in the project aims at the development and standardization of automatic urine analyzer, the development of new biosenzor structures, and new in vitro diagnostic markers as well as for the validation, quality control and information handling of the test results.

The basic and applied research projects promise new useful products and services in the area of diabetes control, bedside and near patient testing of cardiovascular diseases. Developments in equipment and informatics allow multicenter integrated utilization of the in vitro diagnostic test results, to promote improvements in quality of life among hungarian population.

Coordinator: Prof. László Dux MD PhD DSc

Department of Biochemistry, University of Szeged, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical Center Szeged, Dóm tér 9. Hungary

Phone: 36 62 545 096

Fax: 36 62 545 097

E mail: dux@biochem.szote.u-szeged.hu

Prof. Yvette Mándi MD PhD DSc

Department of Medical Microbiology, Szeged Dóm tér 10.

Phone: 36 62 545 115

Fax: 36 62 545 113

E-mail: Yvette@comser.szote.u-szeged.hu

Prof. Imre Dékány Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Department of Colloid Chemistry and Nanostructured System Research, Szeged Aradi Vértanúk tere 1.

Phone: 36 62 544 210

Fax: 36 62 545 042

E-mail: i.dekany@chem.u-szeged.hu

Prof. Tamás Kiss PhD DSc

Department of Inorganic and Anlytical Chemistry, Szeged Dóm tér 8.

Phone: 36 62 544 337

Fax: 36 62 420 505

E-mail: tkiss@chem.u-szeged.hu

Prof. Gábor Szabó PhD DSc

Department of Optics and Laserphysics, Szeged Dóm tér 9.

Phone: 36 62 544 272

Fax: 36 62 544 273

E-mail: gszabo@physx.u-szeged.hu

Prof. Attila Naszlady Md PhD DSc, Budapest Frankel Leó út 54.

Phone: 36 1 4388 400

Fax: 36 1 212 5378

E mail: irgalmas@elender.hu

Mária Péter managing director, Budaörs 2040, Edison u. 1.

Phone: 36 23 446 877

Fax: 36 23 446 890

E-mail: maria.peter@roche.com

Ferenc Farkas director of research and development, Budapest, Fehérvári út 98.

Phone: 36 1 206 1480/118

Fax: 36 1 206 1481

E-mail: ffarkas@e77.hu

Katalin Horváth MD managing director, Szeged Somogyi B u. 5.

Phone: 36 62 543 016

Fax: 36 62 543 015

E-mail: mail@qualicont.com