Serum iron and total iron-binding capacity determination by flow-injection analysis with atomic absorption detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate iron quantification in serum is crucial for diagnosing various medical conditions.
• Existing methods for iron analysis can be time-consuming or require heating.
• Hemoglobin interference is a common challenge in serum iron assays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and cost-effective method for serum iron determination.
• To eliminate hemoglobin interference without the need for heating.
• To validate the new method against a standard automated procedure.

Main Methods:

• Deproteinisation of serum using trichloroacetic acid-ascorbate solution to precipitate hemoglobin.
• Introduction of the treated supernatant into a flowing stream of deionised water.
• Analysis using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, with results obtained 6 seconds post-injection.
• Utilisation of a novel, inexpensive injector for sample introduction.

Main Results:

• Rapid analytical readout (6 seconds) achieved after sample injection.
• Effective removal of hemoglobin-bound iron without heating.
• Good analytical recovery and precision demonstrated.
• Results showed strong agreement with a standard AutoAnalyzer procedure.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a fast, precise, and cost-effective approach for serum iron analysis.
• The trichloroacetic acid-ascorbate treatment effectively removes hemoglobin interference.
• This novel technique is a viable alternative to existing automated methods for clinical laboratories.