gation; (b) by using Sure-Sep and single centrifugation; and (c) by using SST and mannitol, excessive mannitol infusion to patients will result in falsely increased “triglyceride” results that will not be compatible with the lipoprotein profile. Under such conditions, true tniglycer- and Lederer (3), there was a slight effect of “Serum Disc” (Whale Scientific, Denver, Cob.) on serum total cholesterol and triglyceride. They indicated a ides can be estimated difference in cholesterol when compared in Table to the control sera. It was not stated whether the changes were increases or By Students’ t-test, the samples prepared with the SST showed no significant difference in concentration when compared to the conventional method, but showed a significant (P < 0.001) lowering when Sure-Sep was used. Values for triglycerides were 4.3% lower and for total cholesterol 4.2% lower than by running an unsaponified blank sample that will eliminate the free glycerol and mannitol interference of the test. 2% difference I. Young, D. S., Pestaner, L. C., and Gibberman, V., Effects of drugs on clinical laboratory tests. Clin. Chem. 21, 1D (1975). Special issue. and 1.5% decreasesin the samples prepared with “Serum References in triglycerides Disc.” Mathies (4) evaluated the suitability of a new separatory device, “Sure-Sep” (General Diagnostics, Morris Plains, N.J.), and found that there was no effect of this silicone-polymer-silica barrier 2. Witter, R. F., and Whitner, V. S., complex on serum lipids. This method mination of serum triglycerides. Lipids and Lipoproteins: Quantitation, Composition, and Metabolism, G. J. Nelson, Ed., Wiley-Interscience, New York, N.Y., is based on a container (filled with a semi-solid polymer) that is placed in the top of the blood-drawing tube before centrifugation. 1972, pp 75-111. Technicon Autoanalyzer Clinical Method No. 24, Simultaneous Cholesterol and Tnglyceride Analyses, Technicon Instruments Corp., Tarrytown, N.Y., 1972. through DeterIn Blood 3. Herbert K. Naito Vytenis J. Gatautis Department of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Research, Division of Research; Department Division and of Biochemistry ofLaboratory Medicine Kathryn L. Popowniak Department of Nephrology and Hypertension The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, Ohio 44106 The polymer descends the serum (6) were not significantly affected as compared to the conventional method of double centrifugation of the serum samples. Bernstein reported that using his enzymic assay for serum total cholesterol (8) the Sure-Sep technique for separation of serum caused no statistical differences when compared to the conventional method of serum significant separation. Recently a new serum separation device has been introduced. It is a serum Vacutainer tube, “SST” (Becton-Dickinson, Rutherford, a silicon Separating Devices on Results for Cholesterol and Triglyceride centrifugation, (relative the density, 1.045) Furthermore, the silicon complex floats along the side of the walls collection. It is essential that when using such separator aids, there are no interferences with the analytes that are to be measured in the serum. Essentially, this means that the separatory material should be inert, have no effect on the concentration of the serum of plasma constituents, and not high-molecular-weight plexes seen in some cryoglobulins, “trap” certain protein disease states com(i.e., lipoprotein-immune complexes and certain and Williamson using of the tube, following a course of least resistance to the blood cells, and layers itself at an angle, minimizing the trauma of the centrifugal force on the packed (1 ) showed the semi-automated cholesterol method of Block et al. (2) and the triglyceride method of Kessler 1. the values obtained from the serum obtamed by the conventional method. The serum samples that were selected coyered a triglyceride concentration range of 0.91 to 22.7 g/liter and cholesterol concentration range of 1.56 to 4.40 g/ liter. When the difference in values be- tween the Sure-Sep technique and conventional technique was plotted vs. concentration, the correlation coeffi- cients for triglycerides and total cholesterol were 0.19 and 0.33, respectively. This indicates that the degree of decrease in lipid values caused by SureSep was not related to the concentration of the serum lipids. The observed decrease in serum lipid values seen in our study with Sure-Sep is in contrast to the report of Bernstein (8) and Mathies (4), while our data indicating that the SST method does not interfere with triglyc- eride and cholesterol determinations agrees with the recent article of Laessig et al. (10). Further studies are necessary to fully assess the usefulness of any separator devices including the SST-i.e., the influence of such syn- barrier complexes on cryoglobu- lins, macroglobulins, globulin complexes, lipid-immunoand other high- molecular-weight protein or carbohydrate complexes. It has been our experience that when using Sure-Sep, the silicon-polymer complex will layer itself on the cryoglobulins, thereby “trapping” the cryoglobulins with the clot when the serum is decanted into another tube. cells. We compared the effects of these de- vices, Sure-Sep and SST, on serum total cholesterol and triglyceride determinations. The AutoAnalyzer II procedure for simultaneous determination of cho- lesterol and triglycerides the study. toAnalyzer A modification II method was used for of the Au- (9) was run ac- to the procedure outlined by the Lipid Standardization Laboratory at the cording Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, for standardization and certification total cholesterol and triglyceride termination. 245 proteins). 936 complex termediate. materials has been introduced to facilitate the separation of serum from the blood clot by (a ) improving the yield of serum, (b) obtaining better separation of the serum from the blood cells, and (c ) increasing the speed of the serum when During The results of the three methods of serum separation on results for lipid concentration are shown thetic between the clot and the serum because its relative density is in- Since 1965, the use of many synthetic Kaplan N.J.) which contains silicon-polymers-silica takes a position To the Editor: that semi-solid complex. Effect of Two New Serum- globulin during centrifugation and becomes layered on the blood clot, which then separates the cells from the serum. Mathies reported that procedures for cholesterol (2), triglycerides (5), phospholipid (6, 7), and total lipid single centrifugation. Ninety-five patients were Ga., for de- CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, Vol. 22, No. 6, 1976 Method of Triglycerides separation way, by double centrifu- Cholesterol g/llter Conven- 1.733 ± 2.456 ± tional SST 0.130 1.744± 0.052 2.486± Sure-Sep 0.129k’ 1.658 ± 0.053” 2.353 ± 0.125c 0.049c selected without conscious bias for the study; three tubes of blood were obtained from each patient. Serum was obtained in the following way in a random sequence: (a) conventional Table 1. Effect of Different CellSeparation Methods on Serum Lipid 8 95 samples a 4, NonsIgnificant cp< 0.001 Thus, while these unusual protein complexes are rare, they may not be detected when such serum-separator devices are used. GM OIIOMATOOW8I ____ References 1. Kaplan, A., and Williamson, L., Effect on chemical values of using polystyrene beads for serum separation. Clin. Chem. 20, 403 fGOW . MAJ Letter to the Editor. 2. Block, W. D., Jarrett, K. J., Jr., and Levme, j. B., An improved automated determi(1974). nation of serum total cholesterol S with single color reagent. Clin. Chem. 12, 681 (1966). 3. Kessler, G., and Lederer, H., Fluorometric measurement of triglycerides. In Automation in Analytical Chemistry, Technicon Symposia 1965, L. T. Skeggs et al., Eds. Mediad Inc., New York, N. Y., 1966, p 341. 4. Mathies, J. C., Evaluation of a new device for rapidly separating serum or plasma from blood. Clin. Chem. 20, 1573 (1974). I .x- R. E., Further Sep technique for serum-plasma separation. 22, 120 (1976). Letter to the Clin. Chem. Editor. 9. Technicon AutoAnalyzers Method No. 24, Simultaneous 750 II. Clinical of a serum separator (1976). Herbert K. Naito Vytenis J. Gatautis Sst#{248}rr’ GC the Cholesterol! Triglycerides. Technicon Instruments Corp., Tarrytown, N. Y., 1972. 10. Laessig, R H., Westgard, J. 0., Carey, R. N., et al., Assessment - isPovd fo Dt-ugDetectior ir’ CIiricd LthorotorU* use of the Sure- device for obtaining serum specimens suitable for clinical analyses. Clin. Chem. 22, 235 #{149} GOW-mAC _________ (1932). 8. Bernstein, _ _ TF-cz 5. Soloni, F. G., Simplified manual micromethod for determination of serum triglycerides. Clin. Chem. 17, 529 (1971). 6. Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane Stanley, G. H., A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 191, 833 (1957). 7. King, E. J., The colorimetric determination of phosphorus. Biochem. J. 26, 292 - have found that the Model 750 FID gas system is fast and reliable in stat drug analyses. it’s a dedicated GC, one which is easily used again and Many clinical laboratories chromatograph Because again for similar tests, it’s easier to operate and more expensive analytical tools. complete system than the elaborate - everything you’ll need is under the 69-750 standard FID chromatograph, glass column, sampling syringe and an kit. Department of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Research The Division of Research, and Department of Biochemistry Division of Laboratory Medicine rotameters, easy-to-use The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, Ohio 44106 GOW-MAC has a packet of information that will convince install a 750 GC system in your laboratory. $2500.00. It includes: recorder, installation GOW-MAC, a new name in the clinical laboratory edged name in analytical instrumentation. 0 Bibliography Data Handling and Reporting - you to an acknowl- and reprints available. To the Editor: We read with interest the paper by et a!. (1 ). However, inspection of the figures displaying the linearity and the patient comparison data raises Forrester several questions relating to data collection and interpretation. The authors are referred to Barnett and Youden (2) for the mechanics of methods comparison and Westgard and Hunt (3) for the use and interpretation of statistical (GOw M A) GOW-MAC INSTRUMENT CO. Road, Madison, N.J. 07940 100 Kings Telephone: Shannon 201/377-3450 Free Circle No. 361 on Readers Airport, Telex: Co. Clare, 136331 Ireland Service Card 27 tests in methods comparison. Westgard and CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, Vol. 22, No. 6. 1976 937
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