title: The development of computer programs to predict and minimise the effect of sample pyruvate on aspartate aminotransferase assays.
abstract: Some NADH-linked aspartate aminotransferase (AST) assay systems may produce significant errors due to endogenous pyruvate because the pre-incubation time employed is too short and/or because the reagent lactate dehydrogenase (LD) activity is inadequate. Such errors in patient specimens may go unnoticed if quality control materials themselves contain a low pyruvate concentration. A theory of pyruvate interference in AST assay is formulated and calculation programs are described which will allow a laboratory to assess whether their particular AST methods are likely to be subject to such interference and also to predict a way of removing any error thus identified.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock UK.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D011773:Pyruvates; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D011773:Pyruvates; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases