Neda Soleimani - Department of pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Introduction: As a common interferer in clinical chemistry, lipemic specimens could be a source of significant analytical errors. Ultracentrifugation has been by far the only reliable method to eliminate the lipemic effect.Material and methods: The aims of this study were to find easier and more available methods that can replace ultracentrifuge to eliminate lipemia. Among the daily samples those with triglyceride> 400 mg/dL and also were turbid(152 samples) were selected, divided into seven groups, based on triglyceride concentration and pooled serums were made for each group. Then all of the pooled serums were investigated for total protein, albumin, AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, FBS, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, CPK, LDH, amylase, lipase, GGT, chloride, magnesium, serum iron and TIBC in different methods including direct measurement, serum blank, serum dilution and measurement after ultracentrifugation.Results: Based on allowable imprecision of each analyte, we found clinically significant interference due to lipemia on calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, amylase, lipase, AST, ALT, BUN, CPK, LDH and TIBC which can only be removed by using ultracentrifugation, although disruption in the last three analytes can just be seen in high triglyceride concentration. Lipemia interferences on total protein, albumin, FBS, creatinine and chloride would be corrected by using serum blank. According to our study lipemia has no adverse effect on GGT, serum iron, uric acid and alkaline phosphatase measurement and effects on total bilirubin are only seen in low levels of triglyceride.Conclusion: Lipemia is a well known interferer in clinical chemistry that for some analytes could be eliminated by other methods such as using serum blank.

lipemia, interference, serum blank, ultracentrifuge