Comparison of a homogeneous assay with a precipitation method for the measurement of HDL cholesterol in diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To compare direct-measured HDL cholesterol with HDL cholesterol measured by a precipitation method.


METHODS
We compared a homogeneous assay for direct HDL cholesterol analysis with the phosphotungstic acid magnesium chloride precipitation method in 55 type 1 diabetic patients, 70 type 2 diabetic patients, and 82 nondiabetic normal control subjects with plasma triglyceride levels <4.6 mmol/l. The cholesterol content of HDL determined by the direct assay was overall 0.1 mmol/l higher in all three groups than HDL cholesterol measured after precipitation, but the two methods were closely correlated (r(2) = 0.98, P < 0.001).


RESULTS
HbA(1c), blood glucose, serum albumin, serum bilirubin, or triglyceride did not influence the differences of the two HDL cholesterol measurements. Because we have previously shown HDL cholesterol isolated by phosphotungstic acid precipitation to be lower than that by ultracentrifugation, the positive bias found in this study was expected. It seems that the direct HDL cholesterol assay reacts with apolipoprotein (apo) B-containing lipoproteins in the fraction with a density of >1.063; these apo B-containing lipoproteins are suggested to be coprecipitated with the phosphotungstic acid method. We also measured LDL cholesterol directly by a LDL cholesterol plus method and found no significant differences between this method and LDL cholesterol calculated from Friedewald's formula.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct homogeneous assay for HDL cholesterol determination in diabetic patients seems not to exhibit a negative bias, in contrast to the precipitation method, when compared with the ultracentrifugation method. In addition, the direct assay saves time and is not influenced by type of diabetes or degree of metabolic control.
Jensen
Tonny
T
Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark. tonny.jensen.tj@hh.hosp.dk
Truong
Quan
Q
Frandsen
Merete
M
Dinesen
Bo
B
Stender
Steen
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D002784:Cholesterol; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides