Liquid Select LDL is a homogeneous, automated direct test that measures LDL cholesterol levels in serum or plasma directly, without the need for offline pretreatment or centrifugation.
Typically, LDL cholesterol values do not derive from a direct measurement of the low-density class of lipoprotein particles. Rather, the values are estimated by the Friedewald formula, a linear equation that itself contains another estimate and is subject to the cumulative error of three independent measurements. The ratio between total cholesterol and triglycerides, used in the Friedewald formula to estimate VLDL cholesterol, is not constant and can lead to patient miscalculation. Direct measurement of LDL has proven superior in assessing LDL values in diabetic patients.
Because direct LDL measurement is still a recent concept, clinicians must specify this test when sending samples out for processing.
A study comparing Liquid Select LDL to the reference method for LDL using ultracentrifugation resulted in a correlation coefficient r=0.97. A second study comparing it with the LDL Immunoseparation method resulted in a correlation coefficient r=0.97.
Equal Diagnostics
Keyword: cholesterol, LDL, test
