[A progress in the standardization in clinical enzymology using calibrators adapted to several techniques]

Results in enzymology obtained in routine conditions, differ considerably according to the measurement procedures, and the use of conversion factors is not an advisable solution. Some studies show that between-laboratory agreement of results can be improved by using validated enzyme calibrators. The conditions, which are required to define a strategy for the development of such calibrators, are described in a first part. The example of lipase activity, which is measured in routine conditions with important between-method discrepancy, is studied in a second part. This example emphasised the need of an a priori control of the validity of the calibrators. Under these conditions, between-method agreement is in fact considerably improved. With the collaboration of manufacturers for the development of validated enzyme multicalibrators, it will be possible to improve the efficiency of the information transmitted by clinical chemists to clinicians. Thus, enzyme activities measurements could benefit from the same improvement as immunoassay of proteins with the use of CRM 470 by manufacturers to calibrate their standards.