Assessing the Incidence and Effect of Haemolysis, Lipaemia, and Icterus in Samples for Lipid and Lipoprotein Analysis

Abstract

The aims of this study were to determine the frequency, and evaluate the effects of haemolysis, icterus and lipaemia in samples for lipid lipoprotein tests in an academic medical hospital patient population. This was a retrospective study on data from the central Chemical pathology laboratory at the largest academic hospital in Africa. Serum indices (haemolysis, icterus and lipaemia) were available for all the lipid and lipoprotein chemistry specimens analysed over a 4 year (2007 – 2010) period (n=10, 5555). In the study the effects of haemolysis, lipaemia and icterus on the lipid profiles was determined. From a very large sample pool submitted to Chemical pathology laboratory for lipid and lipoprotein tests, serum indices for lipaemia, hemolysis and icterus were analysed. One thousand six hundred and eighteen (15.33%) were identified as having some form of interferent. Results were as follows: lipaemia, 13.92%; hemolysis, 1.17%; and icterus, 0.25%. There were significant differences between the clear and icteric samples in all the measured lipids and lipoproteins except HDL. Icteric samples had lower HDL levels than the clear samples. However, the frequency of icterus and haemolysis serum indices found in this study is lower than reports from other studies. The frequency of lipaemia found in this study constitutes the highest serum index at the hospital. The study concluded that lipaemia, hemolysis, and icterus occur frequently in blood specimens analysed in the laboratory. Therefore, serum indices are important interfering factors, which require an objective assessment.