Biochemistry Practicals on

System: Introduction to Health & Disease

Practical I: Testing for abnormal glucose metabolism

Through experiential and interactive approaches, glucose tolerance tests in the diagnosis of diabetes are introduced. The receiver operating characteristic curve and the use of clinical laboratory reference intervals/values are also discussed.

Practical II: Molecular tools for diagnosis and prognosis of cancer

We use a breast cancer specimen as an example to discuss and compare biochemical and immunological tools for detection of proteins with deregulated expression levels. Through clinical case studies, levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors, and c-ErbB2 are assessed in order to predict response to hormone replacement therapy and tamoxifen. The relationship between over-expression of c-ErbB2, cancer progression, and life expectancy is also discussed.

Workshop: Recombination and gene linkage

The inheritance modes of Mendelian diseases are illustrated with clinical cases. The concept of genetic recombination and gene linkage, and their biological significance are elaborated. The practical use of the Hardy-Weinberg law in prediction of disease allele frequency in the human population, and the relationship between allele and genotype frequency are discussed.