The comparative of serum lactate determination by using HPLC and enzymatic assay technique

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to compare the results of determination of lactate concentration in plasma measured by the developed high pressure liquid chromatography method (HPLC) and enzymatic assay, which is a routine method used in a general hospital laboratory. The method developed was used to measure the lactate level in HIV patients being treated with NRTIs. Thirty blood samples from the central laboratory, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital were collected for testing the developed HPLC method compared to the enzymatic assay. In this study, the comparative results between both techniques showed correlation with statistical difference (paired t-test, p > 0.05). Thirty blood samples measured by the HPLC method, showed lactate concentrations at 4.74 ± 0.67 mM (mean±S.E.M), and enzymatic assay at 4.20 ± 0.38 mM. Therefore, the HPLC method could be used to obtain a higher lactate level than that of the enzymatic assay.

The comparative result of precision and accuracy between the developed HPLC method and enzymatic assay demonstrated that intra-day precision had a coefficient variance = 4.76% and 6.82%, respectively. The interday–precision was at 5.67%/ and 6.44%. In conclusion, this developed HPLC is less expensive for reagents, has longer shelf-life, and can be used with high precision and accuracy for measuring lactate concentrations in HIV infected patients who are being treated with NRTIs. The lactate measurement would be very useful for surveillance in order to help prevent lactic acidosis in HIV infected patients. Bull Chiang Mai Assoc Med Sci 2009; 42: 37-49.