ViraCor-IBT Laboratories to Present at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Annual Meeting

LENEXA, KS and LEE'S SUMMIT, MO--(Marketwire - November 4, 2009) - Scientists from ViraCor-IBT Laboratories have been selected to provide four oral presentations and one poster presentation at this year's American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami, Florida. Michelle Altrich, PhD, HCLD (ABB), and Michael Ling, PhD, will present data on a wide range of topics including Filaggrin, Pneumococcal Antibody Avidity, Chronic Urticaria, Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions and T-Cell Excision Circles.

"We are pleased to participate in the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual meeting," said Maureen Loftus, chief business officer for ViraCor-IBT. "Being selected to present our work among this group is a true testament to the emphasis our company places on scientific expertise, quality and research and development, and we are delighted to share and discuss our findings."

The five presentations Altrich and Ling will conduct are as follows:

--  Development and Validation of an Assay to Detect the Loss of Function
    Mutations in Filaggrin: Filaggrin is an important protein in the skin; when
    there is a mutation in the filaggrin gene, the skin barrier can become
    compromised. Patients with these mutations are more susceptible to atopic
    dermatitis or eczema.  These patients are also more susceptible to
    complications associated with these diseases.  ViraCor-IBT is the first lab
    to develop a test that can detect six loss-of-function mutations in
    Filaggrin. Previously, tests only recognized two mutations. The
    presentation will cover how the lab developed and validated the test and
    will take place at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009 during Concurrent
    Session "C" in room B217-218.
    
--  Evaluation of Pneumococcal Antibody Avidity and Concentration in
    Patients with Suspected Immunodeficiency: Assessment of patients with
    recurrent infections for suspected immunodeficiency routinely involves the
    use of vaccine challenge tests. This presentation will cover a new way to
    evaluate the immune system so a physician can better determine if the
    patient has mounted a significant response to the pneumococcal vaccine. The
    presentation will take place at 2:15 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2009
    during Concurrent Session "C" in room B217-B218.
    
--  Development and Validation of a Test to Measure IgG Antibodies to the
    IgE Receptor I Protein for Evaluation of Autoimmune Chronic Urticaria:
    Approximately 35-50% of chronic urticaria (CU), or chronic hives, cases
    have an autoimmune basis. Functional basophil-based histamine release
    assays provide useful information on autoimmune CU, allowing physicians to
    determine what antibody a patient has. This presentation will cover how
    ViraCor-IBT's newly developed ELISA Binding assay may complement functional
    CU assays with higher overall sensitivity for evaluating autoimmune CU. The
    presentation will take place at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009
    during Concurrent Session "C" in room B217-218.
    
--  Development and Validation of a T cell Activation Assay to Evaluate
    Delayed (Type IV) Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions: Diagnosis of
    hypersensitivity reactions to drugs is a major challenge in clinical
    practice. This presentation will cover the development and validation of an
    assay that will aid in the evaluation of patients who have suffered adverse
    drug reactions, particularly skin reactions. The presentation will take
    place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009 during Concurrent Session
    "B" in room B214-215.
    
--  Qualifications of T-Cell Excision Circles (TREC) for Diagnosis of
    Immunodeficiency and Post-Bone Marrow Transplant Monitoring: This poster
    will demonstrate how TREC can be quantified in bone marrow transplant
    recipients. Quantification of TREC can provide useful information on T-cell
    reconstruction and aid in the evaluation of newborns with recurrent
    infections for suspected primary immunodeficiency.
    

For more information on ViraCor-IBT Laboratories and the company's testing menu, please visit www.viracor-ibt.com.

About ViraCor-IBT Laboratories

ViraCor Laboratories and IBT Laboratories merged in June 2009 to form a unique specialty diagnostics laboratory. The combined company specializes in cellular, immunology, and allergy testing services as well as molecular assays that detect and monitor microbial pathogens. The company serves more than 4,000 physicians, hospitals, commercial laboratories and biopharmaceutical companies nationwide. For more information, visit www.viracor-ibt.com

Contact Information: ViraCor-IBT Media Contact: Amy Asper 615-327-7999 aasper@seigenthaler.com