Simple manual procedure for determination of serum triglycerides

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate determination of serum triglycerides (triacylglycerols) is crucial for diagnosing and managing cardiovascular disease risk.
• Existing methods for triglyceride analysis can be time-consuming and may involve multiple heating steps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a modified, streamlined method for quantifying serum triglycerides.
• To enhance the efficiency and practicality of triglyceride measurement in clinical laboratories.

Main Methods:

• The modified method integrates the heptane extraction of Gottfried and Rosenberg with the stable reagents of Neri and Frings.
• Key modifications include eliminating a heating step, reducing saponification time to 5 minutes, and room temperature absorbance readings.

Main Results:

• The modified method demonstrates linearity up to 3.0 g/liter.
• Comparison with the automated Block and Jarrett procedure showed no significant difference (r=0.98).
• The coefficient of variation was 6.3% for 47 duplicate samples, with equivalent values obtained for quality-control samples.

Conclusions:

• The modified method provides a reliable and efficient alternative for serum triglyceride determination.
• This streamlined assay reduces assay time and complexity without compromising accuracy.
• The method is suitable for routine clinical laboratory use.