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Updated: May 22, 2026

Ex Vivo Red Blood Cell Hemolysis Assay for the Evaluation of pH-responsive Endosomolytic Agents for Cytosolic Delivery of Biomacromolecular Drugs
Published on: March 9, 2013
Influence of hemolysis on routine laboratory cardiac marker testing
Massimo Daves1, Gian Luca Salvagno, Roberto Cemin
1Laboratorio di Biochimica Clinica, Ospedale Regionale di Bolzano, Italy.
Background:
Reliable information on the potential bias arising from processing in vitro hemolysis specimens referred for conventional cardiac biomarker testing is scarce and controversial as yet. The present investigation was designed to assess the influence of low levels of in vitro hemolysis on cardiac biomarker testing.
Methods:
Three aliquots, prepared by serial dilutions of homologous hemolysed samples collected from 14 different subjects and containing final concentrations of plasma hemoglobin of 0, 0.3, and 0.6 g/L were tested for the following parameters: cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and T (cTnT), myoglobin (Myo), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and NT-prohormone-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP).
Results:
No statistically significant differences were observed in any of the parameters tested nor did the bias achieve clinical significance.
Conclusions:
The results of this study show that moderate hemolysis, as low as 0.6 g/L, has no influence on the reliability of cardiac biomarker testing.
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