Cholesterol measurement by reflotron dry chemistry in infants, children and adults

Lapinleimu H, Viikari J, Jokinen E, Routi T, Salo P, Hollo O, Niinikoski H, Rönnemaa T, Leino A, Välimäki I, Simell O. Cholesterol measurement by reflotron dry chemistry in infants, children and adults. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1994; 54: 61-65.Cholesterol values measured with the Reflotron® dry chemistry (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany) and enzymatic (CHOD-PAP) routine method in 4150 venous blood samples from 580 infants aged 7 months, 1778 children aged 13 months to 19 years, and 1792 adults aged 18-63 years showed good correlation between the two assay systems (r > 0.92). However, the mean cholesterol concentrations were 4.5%, 3.7% and 2.3% lower in infants, children and adults, respectively, if measured with the Reflotron analyser as compared with values obtained with the CHOD-PAP method. These differences in the values were greater when cholesterol values were low (significance for the slope of regression line, p < 0.001). Values were below the detection limit of the Reflotron assay (2.59 mmoll-1) in 104 (4.4%) and 4 (0.2%) of all paediatric and adult samples, respectively. When measured with the CHOD-PAP method, 75 (72%) and 3 (75%) of these same samples showed values which exceeded the 2.59mmoir' detection limit. We conclude that Reflotron dry chemistry analyser is precise in fast measurement of serum cholesterol both in all paediatric subjects and adults. A particular problem in paediatric age groups is that about 4% of children have values below the detection limit of the Reflotron analyser.