Application of high-sensitivity reagent to the Dade Dimension XL for the determination of cholesterol in high-density and low-density lipoprotein serum fractions

We have applied a reagent for the determination of cholesterol in high- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) fractions to the Dade Dimension XL automated chemistry analyzer. This reagent has an inherent sensitivity that is four times greater than those of the more common reagents that use phenol or hydroxybenzoate in their indicator reaction. The enhanced sensitivity resulting from the generated chromogen with a higher absorptivity facilitates improved precision, when measuring the small amounts of cholesterol that are recovered from the HDL and LDL fractions of serum. The proposed application correlates well with the Centers for Disease Control reference method. Total imprecision. including the serum fractionation, was <5% within run and <5% day to day. Furthermore, the liquid stable reagent has extended onboard stability and thus requires infrequent calibration. (C) 1998 Academic Press.