Head of Laboratory: Dr. Deniz Alexandrou BSc, MSc, MA, PhD
According to the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry, “Clinical Chemistry involves the study of the chemical aspects of human life in states of health or disease and the application of laboratory methods in diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prevention of diseases.”
The Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory provides diagnostic services in the specialty of Clinical Biochemistry to both inpatients and outpatients of Nicosia General Hospital, as well as patients from all Health Centers of the Nicosia district. It also serves private laboratories and the laboratories of other public hospitals for specialized tests. It functions as a Reference Center for the laboratories of the rest of Cyprus.
The aim of the laboratory is to provide high-quality health services, as well as educational and research activities. This is achieved based on European and International Standards for quality assurance, ensuring reliable results. To fulfill this goal, priority is given to continuous staff training; monitoring technological developments through scientific journals and online resources; participation in seminars and conferences; and close cooperation with equipment suppliers. This allows the application of new methods and enables the laboratory to respond to clinical demands.
The laboratory follows internal quality control procedures and participates in external quality assessment programs covering the full spectrum of analyses (ESEAP, BIORAD, UK NEQAS, INSTAND, RIQAS). Since 2020, the laboratory has been accredited in the field of Classical Biochemistry under ISO 15189 for a wide range of analyses.
In this sector, a wide range of analyses is performed using automated analyzers with spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods. The tests include enzymes, metabolites, special proteins, and electrolytes. These parameters provide the first comprehensive overview of a patient’s condition and are among the most important tools used by physicians for diagnosis and therapy.
Tests performed in Classical Biochemistry include (not in table form to avoid formatting issues):
In this sector, blood levels of therapeutic drugs are measured to adjust dosing. Drug groups monitored include:
Monitoring is essential because many drugs have narrow therapeutic ranges, and deviations can lead to toxicity and severe adverse effects.
Therapeutic drugs tested include:
Special proteins are measured via nephelometry.
Examples include:
Proteins exist in all body fluids and their measurement significantly contributes to disease diagnosis.
Protein electrophoresis provides much more diagnostic detail than total protein measurement.
It is used to detect and identify paraproteins.
Serum immunofixation combined with electrophoresis and immunoglobulin quantification is essential for the diagnosis and staging of Multiple Myeloma.
Electrophoresis separates proteins into 5 fractions based on electrical charge.
Additional analyses include detection of oligoclonal bands in CSF.
This area performs specialized analyses:
(a) Urinary Stone Analysis
Determines chemical composition to guide proper treatment.
Typical components include:
(b) Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA)
Used for diagnosis and monitoring of catecholamine-producing tumors such as:
(c) 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5-HIAA)
A serotonin metabolite used in diagnosis and follow-up of mid-gut carcinoid tumors.
Since 2018, cooperation with the Biomedical Group allows measurement of metal levels in blood and urine.
These are critical for patients with toxic exposures and metabolic disorders.
Metals tested include:
Appointments and Information
