151. Pilot quality assurance programme for plasma metanephrines.
- Author
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Pillai D and Callen S
- Subjects
- Biogenic Amines urine, Calibration, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid methods, Dopamine analogs & derivatives, Dopamine urine, Feasibility Studies, Humans, Immunoenzyme Techniques methods, Metanephrine urine, Normetanephrine urine, Pilot Projects, Quality Control, Reference Standards, Metanephrine blood, Normetanephrine blood, Tandem Mass Spectrometry methods
- Abstract
Background: Up to 2007 there was no formal external quality assurance programme for plasma free metanephrines. A pilot programme was conceived by the AACB (Australian Association of Clinical Biochemists) Working Party on biogenic amines. With support from the AACB and Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance programmes, a pilot study was developed. Data from this study are presented for the first time., Methods: Twelve lyophilized plasma samples were distributed to 15 centres. Samples were spiked with metanephrine (metadrenaline), normetanephrine (normetadrenaline) and 3-methoxytyramine, all derived from human urine. Concentrations were arranged in a linear relationship. The analytes were present at six levels and samples were duplicated., Results: High-pressure liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry methods showed acceptable precision but in general enzyme immunoassay displayed a higher degree of imprecision as well as a negative bias., Conclusions: Differences in calibration and matrix effects are likely to have been responsible for the discrepancy between chromatographic and immunoassay methods. These differences need to be further examined although efforts at standardization between different methods have been hampered by the lack of a universal calibrator for plasma metanephrines. Meanwhile, a laboratory's performance characteristics can be monitored and enhanced by participation in suitable external quality assurance programmes.
- Published
- 2010
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