title: The influence of anticoagulants on the measurement of total protein concentration in equine peritoneal fluid.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of two commonly used anticoagulants (K3EDTA and lithium heparin) on refractometric and spectrophotometric measurement of total protein (TP) concentration in equine peritoneal fluid samples. The influence of a commercial solution of K3EDTA, a solution of K3EDTA in distilled water and lithium heparin on the refractometric and spectrophotometric (biuret) quantification of TP content in peritoneal fluid samples was assessed. Total protein concentration measured by refractometry was consistently overestimated in samples with commercial K3EDTA. The solution of K3EDTA in distilled water only caused TP overestimation at high K3EDTA concentrations (>5 micromol/ml). By contrast, lithium heparin did not influence the refractometric values of TP. Neither anticoagulant modified TP values when measured by the biuret method. In conclusion, the use of K3EDTA as anticoagulant may result in a significant overestimation of TP values of peritoneal fluid samples measured by refractometry.
authors.affiliation: Department Medicina y Cirugia Animal, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus Universitario Rabanales, Ctra Madrid-Cadiz km 396, 14014 Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Estepa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayer-Valor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aguilera-Tejero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006736:Horses; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D011506:Proteins; D006493:Heparin; D004492:Edetic Acid