title: Evaluation of the Ves-Matic Cube 200 erythrocyte sedimentation method: comparison with Westergren-based methods.
abstract: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is still a widely used parameter for acute phase inflammation. Recently, new methods based on direct undiluted measurement of ESR in a standard EDTA tube have been developed. We evaluated the analytic performance of one of these new methods, the Ves-Matic Cube 200 (Diesse Diagnostica Senese, Siena, Italy), and compared it with several established Westergren-based diluted methods. The Ves-Matic Cube 200 showed a poor correlation (r = 0.83) with the International Council for Standardization in Haematology Westergren reference method, mainly caused by a considerable negative bias at low ESR levels. Moreover, a random bias was found at higher ESR levels that correlated with hematocrit levels, suggesting a differential influence of packed cell volume on the Ves-Matic Cube 200 results compared with Westergren results. We conclude that the Ves-Matic Cube 200 method is not interchangeable with Westergren-based diluted methods and generates ESR results that are too deviant to be clinically acceptable.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Catharina Hospital Eindhoven, PO Box 1350, 5602 ZA Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Curvers
authors.forename: Jurgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kooren
authors.forename: Maartje
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laan
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Lierop
authors.forename: Daan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van de Kerkhof
authors.forename: Volkher
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scharnhorst
authors.forename: Martien
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herruer
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000175:diagnosis; D057205:Automation, Laboratory; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation; D006400:Hematocrit; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein