Interlaboratory comparison of serum thyroxine analyses

Approximately 300 clinical chemistry laboratories participated in a survey of measurements of the thyroxine (T4) concentration in 13 lyophilized serum specimens prepared by spiking a base serum pool with several different levels of T4. Of 35 commercially available kit methods, 4 kits were used by 30 or more laboratories, and 9 by 10 or more laboratories. Values obtained with the Abbott or Nuclear Medical laboratories, kits, which were used by one-third of all laboratories that named a specific kit, averaged 1 to 2 micrograms/dL greater than those obtained with the other methods. Within-run coefficients of variation were 10 to 20% for specimens containing less than 3 micrograms/dL of T4 and 3 to 6% for specimens with more elevated T4 levels.