Measurement of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol in serum: a status report.
Current recommendations of the Adult Treatment Panel and the Children and Adolescents Treatment Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program make the concentration of low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C) in serum the basis for the classification and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Numerous methodologies for the determination of serum LDL-C concentrations, in research and clinical laboratories, have been described. Here, we review the principles, performance, and limitations of major current methodologies for determining LDL-C concentrations. These methods include sequential and density-gradient ultracentrifugation, chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques, and precipitation methods. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of estimating LDL-C concentration by the Friedewald equation, the most commonly used approach in clinical laboratories, are addressed.
Rifai
N
N
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010.
Warnick
G R
GR
McNamara
J R
JR
Belcher
J D
JD
Grinstead
G F
GF
Frantz
I D
ID
D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D002845:Chromatography; D004586:Electrophoresis; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy; D008433:Mathematics; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL