The Clinical Biochemistry of Nutrition course aims to provide students with basic knowledge of laboratory analysis and interpretation of biochemical-clinical profiles in physio-pathological conditions correlated/correlatable and influenced/influenceable by lifestyle and nutritional status at different ages.

The role of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine in clinical practice; from the patient to laboratory tests; types of biological samples; biological, pre-analytical and analytical variability; preventive, screening, diagnostic and prognostic characteristics of laboratory tests; sensitivity, specificity and predictive value; reference, decisional and critical values; reporting and interpretation of laboratory reports.

Micro- and Macro-Nutrients; physiopathological importance of water and electrolytes; metabolism and main alterations of Iron and Vitamins; role of Supplements. Biochemical-clinical profiles of diagnostic/prognostic relevance; glucose profile (basal blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose load curve, C-peptide dosage); protein profile (plasma proteins, complement and acute phase proteins, analysis and interpretation of the proteinogram); lipid profile (lipoproteins and cholesterol); blood count profile and leukocyte formula.

CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY of ORGAN FUNCTIONALITY Digestive system, exocrine pancreas and bile duct; physiopathological markers of functionality (e.g. amylase, lipase, direct and indirect bilirubin, fecal elastase); Kidney; markers of renal function (proteinuria, azotemia, creatinine, acid-base and hydroelectrolytic balance) Liver: laboratory tests of liver function (markers of protein synthesis, conjugation, cytolysis and cholestasis)

CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY of METABOLIC DISEASES and SYNDROMES Diabetes; biological bases; biochemical-clinical analysis for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes (glycemia, glycosuria, glycated hemoglobin and C-peptide). Metabolic syndrome, Obesity and Dyslipidemia; lipoprotein profile; decisional values ​​for risk assessment and therapeutic objectives; laboratory classification according to Fredrickson. Cardiovascular risk factors; Lipoprotein (a), C-reactive protein, Homocysteine, Natriuretic peptides. Myocardial infarction markers (Myoglobin, Creatine kinase MB and Troponins, Gout; metabolic factors and uricemia Thrombosis; coagulative and fibrinolytic diagnostic and therapeutic follow-up tests

CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY of PREGNANCY Biological bases and biochemical-hormonal changes; evaluation and interpretation of maternal biochemical-clinical parameters in the three trimesters of pregnancy; “TORCH” laboratory test; evaluation of laboratory parameters for anemia, gestosis and gestational diabetes;

CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY for SUSPECTED PATHOLOGY Celiac disease; biological characteristics and level I and II laboratory diagnostic tests. Inflammatory state; leukocyte formula; blood count; acute phase proteins; cytokines and chemokines. Malnutrition state and Eating Disorders (ED); laboratory parameters in malabsorption and eating disorders (Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders). Thyroid disorders; evaluation of clinical biochemical and hormonal laboratory parameters

There are no prerequisites but it is recommended to take this exam after the Medical Biochemistry exam.

D1 - Knowledge and understanding Students must demonstrate mastery of basic knowledge related to laboratory analyses and biochemical-clinical tests of the patient both in physiological nutritional states and as a consequence of metabolic changes and pathological conditions. In particular, students must have understood the metabolic interrelationships between the various metabolic pathways in conditions of fasting, normal feeding and unbalanced feeding. Finally, at the end of the course, students must have acquired the interpretative and language skills appropriate to interface with other professional figures connected to the nutritionist.

D2 - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding Students must be able to use the knowledge acquired to carry out reasoning according to the specific logic of the teaching itself and must demonstrate an aptitude for acquiring the information specific to the discipline. Students must demonstrate that they have critically acquired the notions of the course with discussion skills and independent in-depth analysis, enriched by critical analysis of the changes in the biochemical-clinical profiles correlated to specific pathological and nutritional profiles.

D3 - Autonomy of judgment Students must demonstrate that they are able to arrive at autonomous critical reflections, to be able to formulate scientifically supported hypotheses and, in particular, to formulate interpretative judgments on the issues under study.

D4 - Communication skills Students must be able to use the most correct terminology and appropriate language to communicate their knowledge, ideas, problems and related solutions clearly and appropriately, both to experts in the sector and to non-specialists.

D5 - Learning ability The student must demonstrate an aptitude for independent study of clinical biochemistry, to be able to consult and understand scientific texts, including innovative ones, bibliographical and regulatory updates in order to be able to carry out their future work activity in the best possible way.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

The material used during the lessons of the entire course will be visible online and therefore available to all students on the dedicated platform Moodle › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

- Frontal lesson

- Teaching will be integrated with the reading and collective discussion of recent international scientific publications on topics of particular interest in the teaching field.

Innovative teaching methods

Innovative teaching will be mainly based on the following methods:

- Problem-based learning

- Learning by doing

- Integrated learning of language and content

Attendance

There is no obligation to attend, but it is strongly recommended and positively evaluated. Students must have an adequate knowledge of the main topics of Cellular Biology, Basic Biochemistry and Medical Biochemistry, in addition to basic knowledge of the physiology of the main organs.

Course books

Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine – Ciaccio and Lippi - EdiSES – 2019 II^ediz

Essential Clinical Biochemistry: from the laboratory to pathological pictures -Albi, Beccari, Cataldi -Zanichelli 2019

The material used during the lessons of the entire course will be visible online and therefore available to all students. The teacher will provide additional material consisting of recent scientific publications on some of the topics covered

The texts are not to be studied in full; the parts of interest are those relating to the topics covered during the lessons and which are clearly identifiable from the material provided online

Assessment

The learning outcomes will be assessed through an oral interview; the choice of this assessment method is considered by the teacher to be the most suitable for assessing the knowledge acquired and the student's ability to logically and critically analyze the assimilated concepts. In fact, since the Clinical Biochemistry of Nutrition course is largely based on laboratory analyses of metabolic interrelationships, only through the oral interview will it be possible to assess the student's ability to coordinate such knowledge and to correctly and completely address the situations and problems proposed. The oral interview will have an average duration of about 20 minutes and will focus on at least 3 different topics covered in the course to verify the level of knowledge achieved by the student in relation to the previously indicated training objectives. In particular, within each topic the teacher will intervene to stimulate explanations and details on what the student has exposed in order to better assess the level of depth and understanding achieved. Particular emphasis will be given to both the expository skills in terms of appropriate terminology and to the logical skills that will allow the student to argue in its implications and in its entirety the subject of the exam question. The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths and for its determination will be taken into account the knowledge of the topics, their exposition, the reasoning ability and the ability to make connections between the metabolic processes in function of nutrition, all elements that in order of value, will contribute respectively to the achievement of the final score.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The material used during the lessons of the entire course will be visible online and therefore available to all students. The teacher will provide additional material consisting of recent scientific publications on some of the topics covered The texts are not to be studied in full; the parts of interest are those relating to the topics covered during the lessons and which are clearly identifiable from the material provided online

Attendance

the same for attending students

Course books

the same for attending students

Assessment

the same for attending students

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.