Haemolysis as an interference factor in clinical chemistry

Using fully mechanized analytical equipment, interference by haemolysis in the determination of 26 clinical chemical parameters was determined quantitatively by adding haemolysate to serum. Haemoglobin concentrations up to 6.6 g/l caused essentially no interference in the following determinations: albumin (immuno-nephelometric), alpha-amylase, calcium, chloride, cholesterol, cholinesterase, creatinine, iron, glucose, glutamate dehydrogenase, uric acid, urea, sodium, inorganic phosphate, total protein, transferrin and triglycerides. In the presence of haemoglobin, erroneously high values were found for: lactate dehydrogenase (haemoglobin higher than 0.2 g/l), aspartate aminotransferase, potassium and acid phosphate (haemoglobin higher than 1.5 g/l), creatine kinase (haemoglobin higher than 2.5 g/l) and alanine aminotransferase (haemoglobin higher than 3.4 g/l). Erroneously low values were found for bilirubin (haemoglobin higher than 0.8 g/l), alkaline phosphatase and albumin (by electrophoresis) (haemoglobin higher than 1.5 g/l) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (haemoglobin higher than 3.0 g/l).