Ma. Kyla Maru A. Magcamit

Medtech research team presents paper in 2021 ASCP Annual Meeting Kyla Maru Magcamit A Thomasian research team composed of eight BS Medical Technology students presented their thesis titled, “Individual and Combined Evaluation of Specific Inflammatory Biomarkers along with Neutrophil, Lymphocyte, and Platelet Counts in Predicting Poststroke Disability Severity Among Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Pampanga, Philippines,” in the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), an internationally renowned organization for pathologists and laboratory professionals, held both live in Boston, USA and virtually via Zoom, October 27-29. Their research abstract was also published in the October 2021 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology and can be accessed online for free. Members of the group were Emmanuel Vener R. Marcadejas, Matthew P. Lagman, Angelu Marie S. Mendoza, Rafael III E. Marzan, Andrea Mae Z. Manongdo, Lance Francis S. Maniego, Mikhaella Dhayne M. Meriales, and Emmanuel Angelo P. Marin, together with their adviser, Asst. Prof. Ron Christian G. Sison, RMT, MT(AMT), MLS(ASCP), MPH and statistician, Asst. Prof. Xandro Alexi A. Nieto, M.Math Ed., M.Stat. The study focused on the utilization of the modified Rankin Scores (mRS), which is a 6-point disability scale commonly used in stroke trials, in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and how their corresponding scores and the levels of specific inflammatory biomarkers correlate to the degree of their poststroke disability. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet were evaluated based on their individual and combined predictive potential in assessing the functional outcomes of AIS patients, as well as the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) as important inflammatory biomarkers in this prediction. According to the team, they wanted to “focus on a different disease, contributing to the ever-growing knowledge of stroke research that still needs attention even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” especially that cerebrovascular diseases, specifically stroke, remains to be one of the major causes of mortality in the country, with ischemic stroke accounting to approximately 70% of all stroke cases. When asked about their advice for young researchers, especially those who wish to join the same event, they remarked that the ASCP Annual Meeting provides an avenue for healthy discourse and exchange of scholarly ideas with peers and medical professionals alike and gives you the chance to interact with medical company representatives firsthand. They also assured aspiring participants that as long as they know their study by heart, presenting in an international event such as this one would not be a problem.