The Clinical Chemist

In observance of AACC’s 50th anniversary, we asked the Institute for Scientific Information to identify the most-frequently cited articles published in the 44-year history of Clinical Chemistry. By the end of 1995, 31 articles in the Journal had been cited >300 times (Table 1). In future issues of the Journal, Associate Editor Fred Apple will select some of these articles for individual editorial analysis of why they became classics. One caveat: The list is biased against recent papers, which have not been in print long enough to accumulate the large numbers of citations of these classic articles. Papers published in Clinical Chemistry that have been cited >300 times. Papers published in Clinical Chemistry that have been cited >300 times. What can we learn from these 31 articles collectively? First, highly cited papers have long lives. Analysis of these 31 articles shows that 30 of them were still being cited in 1995 (and the remaining one was cited regularly through 1994). Conclusion 1: Novel ideas in clinical chemistry have a long-lasting impact on medicine. Second, the papers are distributed among multiple areas of biological sciences. Notable among these areas are lipids (e.g., papers 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 17, 22, and 25 in Table 1), endocrinology (e.g., papers 5 and 6), clinical enzymology (e.g., papers 8, 19, 23, and 26), intermediary metabolism (e.g., papers 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 24), renal function (e.g., 3 and 7), cancer (e.g., 27), and calcium metabolism (20, 21, and 28). Conclusion 2: The influence of clinical chemistry extends to multiple fields in medicine. Third, the papers originate in a wide variety of institutions, including governmental, academic, and corporate environments as well as hospitals. Collaboration between for-profit and non-profit organizations has been common (e.g., papers 2, 10, and 23). Moreover, the papers are from inside and outside the US and from chemists new to the US, foreshadowing the present international character of the Journal. Conclusion 3: Important work in clinical chemistry is performed in many settings by clinical chemists throughout the world. Fourth, many of the papers began to be cited frequently only after a lag phase. For example, the paper of Friedewald et al. (paper 1) was not cited in its publication year, was cited only 9 times in the year following its publication, and was cited only 15 times in the next year; it has, however, been cited >100 times every year since 1987, the 15th year after its publication. Similarly, the paper of Allain et al. (paper 2) was cited once in the year of its publication and 11 times the following year; it was cited 100 times in the 7th year after its publication and has been cited >100 times per year ever since. Conclusion 4: The eventual impact of a paper cannot be judged in the first year or two after publication. We look forward to analyses of some of these highly cited papers. We publish here biographical sketches of several of the latest additions to the Editorial Board for Clinical Chemistry. Sketches of additional new members will appear in subsequent issues. Michael J. Bennettis currently Professor of Pathology and Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Director of Clinical Chemistry at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. He received his BSc in Physiology and Biochemistry from Reading University (UK) and his PhD in Medical Enzymology from Sheffield University (UK). Before moving to Dallas, he was Principal Biochemist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. His major research interests are in pediatric clinical chemistry and the study of inborn errors of metabolism, especially those of the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. He has a particular research interest in understanding the pathogenesis of the neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses, a group of severe neurodegenerative diseases. He is certified in Clinical Chemistry in the UK (FRC Path) and the US (DABCC). Dr. Bennett has published >130 peer-reviewed papers and invited reviews, mainly in the areas of inherited metabolic diseases and pediatric clinical chemistry. An active member of the AACC, Dr. Bennett is currently chair of the Pediatric Clinical Chemistry Division and chair-elect of the Texas Section. He has served on the editorial board of Annals of Clinical Biochemistry and is currently their American Editor. In 1996, he received an Outstanding Speaker Award from the AACC. Glen L. Hortinis Acting Chief of Clinical Chemistry at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health. He received both his PhD in molecular biology and his MD in 1983 from Washington University in St. Louis. After residency in Laboratory Medicine at Barnes Hospital, he was a faculty member in the Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology at Washington University and Assistant Director of Clinical Chemistry and Director of Immunology in the clinical laboratories at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In 1993, he became Associate Professor of Pathology and Head of the Clinical Chemistry Section at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He recently began his current position at the NIH. Dr. Hortin has contributed to publication of >100 papers and abstracts. He has been a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis and of the Board of Editors of AACC Press. He is board-certified in Clinical Pathology and is a fellow of the College of American Pathologists. Awards he has received include being named as a Medical Scholar of the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation. His interest in point-of-care testing has been reflected in work contributing to programs at the University of Alabama Hospital and participation in the Alternative Site Testing Committee of the College of American Pathologists, as well as publications in this field. He is also a member of the Immunology Devices Panel of the Food and Drug Administration. His research has spanned many fields—from basic laboratory investigations of the posttranslational processing of proteins to clinical applications of new techniques, development of a new blood substitute, laboratory quality improvement, and laboratory management issues. His work has helped describe basic mechanisms of the sorting and processing of secretory proteins and the functional role of the sulfation of tyrosine residues in a variety of coagulation and complement factors. Current interests include applications of new technologies such as use of capillary electrophoresis in clinical testing and investigation of basic metabolic pathways in sulfur metabolism and regulation of protein catabolism. Allan S. Jaffeis Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Division, State University of New York Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine for Academic Affairs. He received his MD from the University of Maryland and subsequently trained in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. While on the faculty at Washington University, he had responsibilities for the Coronary Care Unit and the consultation services, rising to the rank of Professor of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division. He moved to the State University of New York in 1995. Dr. Jaffe’s research interests are related to the use of in vivo plasma markers to characterize pathophysiology and to diagnose myocardial injury in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. His work has involved the use of markers of thrombosis such a fibrinopeptide A, F1.2, and cross-linked fibrin-degradation products. His group was responsible for one of the first reports of the procoagulant effects of plasminogen activators in vivo. Dr. Jaffe’s work has also involved markers of myocardial injury such as myoglobin and isoforms of creatine kinase. More recently, in collaboration with Dr. Jack Ladenson at Washington University, he has played a major role in the development and use of cardiac troponin I as an important marker of cardiac injury. Dr. Jaffe has had many prominent roles in the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and is at present a member of the Executive Committee of the Clinical Council in Cardiology. In addition, he has been involved in resuscitation research and the effects of depression on the incidence of adverse effects in patients with coronary artery disease. He currently cochairs a randomized national trial evaluating the effects of treatment of depression and social isolation in patients with acute myocardial infarction. He has been a member of the AACC since 1993. Larry J. Kricka(D Phil, FRC Path, FRSC C Chem) is Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the General Chemistry Laboratory at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He received his BA and D Phil in chemistry from York University (UK); after completing postdoctoral training at the University of Liverpool (UK), he joined the faculty in the Department of Clinical Chemistry and Wolfson Research Laboratories at the University of Birmingham (UK), where he was a Reader in Clinical Chemistry. Dr. Kricka is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal Society of Chemistry and is a member of the Association of Clinical Biochemists and the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists. Currently a member of the AACC Board of Directors, Dr. Kricka serves on the Clinical Diagnostics and Immunology Division Committee. At the international level, he serves on the Committee on Advanced Technology of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. His research interests include the analytical applications of bioluminescence and chemiluminescence, nonisotopic immunoassays, micromachined analytical systems, and heterophile antibodies. Dr. Kricka has lectured extensively, published >250 papers and review articles, and written or edited 12 books. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence, Acting Editor of the Journal of Immunoassay, and a member of the editorial boards of Analytical Biochemistry and Talanta. Peter Wildingreceived his BSc with Honors in Medical Biochemistry in 1961 and his PhD in Clinical Chemistry in 1965, both from the University of Birmingham (UK). During1965–67 he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In 1967 he returned to the UK to the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Birmingham. In 1969–72 he was Director of Pathology at the BUPA Medical Centre in London, following which he returned to Birmingham as Deputy Director of the Wolfson Research Laboratories at the University of Birmingham. From 1977 to 1982 he worked with the Technicon Corp. in Tarrytown, NY, as a Director of Programs and subsequently as a Vice President in the Diagnostic Systems Division. In 1982 he moved to the SmithKline Beckman Corp. in Philadelphia as Vice President of Research and Development for their Geometric Data Division. Since 1986 he has been Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Director of Clinical Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, where he has performed as a clinical laboratory director, teacher, and researcher. His work, funded by the National Cancer Institutes and industry, has concentrated on development of methods for detecting malignancy and creation of a new technology involving microfabricated devices (“Microchips”) for clinical analyses. He has published 120 papers, including several reviews and 11 patents. Dr. Wilding has served on numerous committees in the UK and the US relating to clinical laboratory science. These include several offices in AACC. In 1991 he was elected to the Board of Directors and served as President of AACC in 1995. In addition he has served on the Finance Committee of the Association and several Task Forces established by AACC. At the international level Dr. Wilding has been a consultant to the World Health Organization, which has involved travel and lectures in several parts of the world. He served on two Expert Panels of the IFCC and on the IFCC Committee for Analytical Quality. In addition, he is Chairman of the Education and Management Division of IFCC. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, UK, and is certified by NRCC and the American Board of Bioanalysis. In 1989 he received the Annual Lectureship Award of the Canadian Association of Medical Biochemists, and in 1993 the Kone Award of the Association of Clinical Biochemists (UK) for his contributions to the field of clinical chemistry. He has served on the editorial boards of Clinical Chemistry , Clinical Biochemistry , and Annals of Clinical Laboratory Science (1995–present) and was North American Editor for the Annals of Clinical Biochemistry . Alan H.B. Wuis Director of Clinical Chemistry at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. He received BS degrees in chemistry (honors) and biology at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, and a PhD in analytical chemistry at the University of Illinois, Champaign–Urbana, IL. He was a postdoctoral fellow in clinical chemistry at Hartford Hospital under George N. Bowers, Jr. In 1982, he joined the faculty in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School and became Director of Clinical Chemistry at Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX. In 1992, he succeeded Dr. Bowers at Hartford Hospital to assume his current position. Dr. Wu is certified by the American Board of Clincial Chemistry and has served as its Vice President. He was program director for the clinical chemistry postdoctoral training program at the University of Texas and is codirector of the program at Hartford Hospital. In addition, he trains several graduate students at the University of Connecticut. He is also currently president of the Commission of Accreditation on Clinical Chemistry. Dr. Wu has published >100 articles, reviews, and book chapters, predominately in the areas of cardiac markers and analytical toxicology. He is the recipient of the AACC Young Investigator Award, The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry George Grannis Award, and the Outstanding Clinical Chemist Award from the Texas Section. He was Chair of the AACC Texas Section an is currently Chair of the AACC Connecticut Valley Section. He is a member of the AACC Education Committee, and Standardization Subcommittees for CK-MB and cardiac troponin I. Dr. Wu is also on the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry Board of Directors, and is a member of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, the Association of Clinical Scientists, the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, the Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the North American Chinese Clinical Chemistry Association. The AACC Awards Committee is accepting applications for young US scientists involved in critical care testing to compete for the National IFCC–AVL Award. This award was initiated in 1995 to encourage and recognize young scientists who are carrying out research and development in the area of critical care testing. The organization of the award is based on a 3-year cycle that initially involves competition at a national level, followed by an international final competition among the national winners that will take place during the International Congress of Clinical Chemistry in June 1999. The sponsor of the award, AVL Medical Instruments AG, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, will provide total prize money of $100 000, with the winner of the international competition receiving $30 000. National award winners receive a certificate and $1000. Applicants for the National IFCC–AVL Award must: be younger than age 40 years on January 1, 1998 be laboratory scientists or clinicians who are conducting research in the area of clinical diagnostic testing related to the critically ill patient reside in the US ( non-US residents must apply to their national society if their home country has a society that is a member of the IFCC) send one original and five copies of their abstract to the AACC Awards Committee by March 31, 1998. The AACC Awards Committee will review all submitted abstracts and select the National IFCC–AVL Award Winner by June 30, 1998. The IFCC Awards Committee will then select 10 finalists from all national award winners, and the finalists will compete for the international award at the IFCC Congress in Florence in June 1999. During the IFCC Congress IFCC-AVL Award Symposium, the 10 finalists will present their work, and later that week the international winner will be selected. To receive additional information about this award and instructions for preparing your abstract, contact Joanna Grimes, Staff Liaison, AACC Awards Committee, at 800-892-1400, ext.740; fax 202-887-5093; e-mail jgrimes@aacc.org. Risk Factors for Arterial Disease Complications, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, MO, March 19–20, 1998. Sponsored by St. Louis University Coagulation Consultants. For information write St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, Continuing Medical Education, 1402 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104-1083. 7th International Congress on Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Estoril, Portugal, September 30–October 4, 1998. For information contact Dr. Jocelyn Hicks (202) 884-5335 phone; (202) 884-2007 fax; jhicks@cnmc.org e-mail; or Dr. Pedro Ramos (351) 1-793-4438 phone; (351) 1-796-2084 fax. 11th International Symposium on Capillary Electrophoresis and Isotachophoresis (ITP-’98), Venice, Italy, October 4–7, 1998. For information write Emmezeta Congressi, Via C. Farini 70, 1–20159 Milan, Italy; phone (39) 2-66-80-23–23; fax (39) 2-66-86-669. Joint Meeting of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) and the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), Albuquerque Hilton, Albuquerque, NM, October 5–9, 1998. For information write SOFT/TIAFT 1998, PO Box 40711, Albuquerque, NM 87196-0711; e-mail TIAFT98@aol.com. 30th Congress of the Italian Society for Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SIBioC), 27th Congress of the Italian Association of Clinical Microbiology (AMCLI), Venice, Italy, October 6–9, 1998. For information write Emmezeta Congressi, Via C. Farini 70, 1–20159 Milan, Italy; phone (39) 2-66-80-2323; fax (39) 2-66-86-699. Update in Thrombolysis: 1998 Annual Meeting on Thrombolysis, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis & Cardiovascular Biology, Berlin, Germany, October 8–10, 1998. For information write Prof. D. C. Gulba, Virchow-Hospitals, Humboldt-University, Franz-Vollhard-Hospital, Wiltbergstr. 50, D-13125 Berlin, Germany; phone (49) 30-9417-2400; fax (49) 30-9417-2453. 8th Asian-Pacific Congress of Clinical Biochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 11–16, 1998. For information write Secreteriat of the 8th APCCB, c/o Inst. Medical Research, Falan Pahany, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 15th International Congress of Thrombosis, Antalya, Turkey, October 16–21, 1998. For information write Visitor Travel and Tourism Inc., Cumhuriyet Caddesi Sumnu Apt. 173/3, Elmadag TR-80230 Istanbul, Turkey; phone (90) 212-231-4584; fax (90) 212-230-4409. 5th IUBMB Conference on the Biochemistry of Health and Disease, Jerusalem, Israel, October 18–22, 1998. For information write Kenes, Ltd., PO Box 50006, Tel Aviv 61500, Israel; phone (972) 3-514-0000; fax (972) 3-517-5674. Michael J. Bennett Glen L. Hortin Allan S. Jaffe Larry J. Kricka Peter Wilding Alan H.B. Wu