title: Biological variation of lipids and lipoproteins in fingerstick blood.
abstract: The biological variability of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was determined in three serial (monthly) capillary and venous specimens from 83 subjects. The analytes were quantified with a desktop analyzer. We saw no differences in the coefficient of biological variability (CVb) between capillary and venous specimens for any analyte (TC, 5.2%; TG, 14.7%; HDL-C, 7.2%; LDL-C, 5.4%). The average analytical variability (CVa) for each analyte, determined in quality-control pools, was; TC, 5.0%; TG, 5.2%; HDL-C, 5.8%; and LDL-C, 7.5%. Compared with standardized laboratory measurements, the desktop analyzer exhibited a significant (P < 0.001) positive bias for all analytes (average bias: TC, 5%; TG, 16%; HDL-C, 6%; and LDL-C, 2.4%). Thus, the biological variation of lipids and lipoproteins was the same in fingerstick and venous samples, and the desktop analyzer showed inherently greater analytical variability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kafonek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lovejoy
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bachorik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011786:Quality Control; D014680:Veins
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol