Abstract
An enzyme method for the determination of the ketone bodies in blood and urine has been described. It is reliable, simple and rapid to perform. The use of fluorimetry to follow the reduction of the NAD+ (or the oxidation of NADH) has been described and enables the use of very small quantities of enzyme, and thus makes economical the use of the commercial enzyme preparation. The results on urine samples from ketonuric patients correlate well with those obtained by a chemical method. Testing the samples with Ketostix prior to the analysis is sufficiently accurate to establish the correct dilution factor and eliminates repeated analyses by trial and error. The stability of β-hydroxybutyrate simplifies the collection and preservation of specimens so that the method can be established as a routine hospital laboratory technique. Heparinised arterial or venous blood samples may be used as they contain the same β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. The concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate in plasma and serum were identical and always higher than in whole blood samples. By contrast, on account of the instability of acetoacetate many precautions are required for the collection and preservation of specimens and in the experimental procedure for its determination, so that the method is not suitable for routine hospital work.
Published Version
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