Glycolysis inhibitors negatively bias blood glucose measurements: potential impact on the reported prevalence of diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Bias associated with the use of NaF-KOx tubes may have a significant impact on the prevalence of fasting hyperglycaemia, according to current diagnostic criteria. The small but significant difference between preanalytical processes should be considered when screening for the presence of diabetes mellitus.

Inhibition of Glycolysis for Glucose Estimation in Plasma: Recent Guidelines and their Implications

“…The comparison of paired blood samples for serum & heparinized plasma collected and stored at same ambient temperature and centrifuged at same time produced higher glucose values in plasma [6]. On the other hand studies comparing the results of serum gel separator tubes with those of fluoride tubes have reported higher glucose values in serum samples [3,4,12]. This is because when serum is collected in tubes with a clot activator and serum gel separator, and promptly centrifuged, glycolysis is stopped quickly due to separation of serum from the cellular components [12].…”

“…Glucose levels can fall as much as 10 mg/dL during this period [2]. Transport on ice slurry and rapid separation of serum within 30 min can inhibit glycolysis without the addition of sodium fluoride and in fact works better as shown by few studies [3,4]. But this would be impractical to expect that every sample be cooled and separated soon after collection.…”

Differences in Anthropometric and Metabolic Parameters Between Subjects with Hypoglycaemia and Subjects with Euglycaemia After an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Six Months After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

“…Serum insulin was measured in University Hospitals of Larissa using the Roche Modular system and the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay kit (Roche Diagnostics, UK). This assay showed .05 % cross-reactivity to intact human proinsulin and the primary circulating split form created by processing of the insulin prohormone [24]. Serum glucose concentrations were measured using an Olympus AU 2700 analyzer (Olympus UK, London, UK) incorporating an automated hexokinase method with ultraviolet detection at 340 nm.…”

A study on the assessment of stability of glucose concentrations in serum separator gel tubes

“…Meticulous research is being done to minimize the use of multiple blood collection tubes without compromising the quality of glucose concentration in samples. 10,12 For measurements of blood levels of common clinical chemistry analytes like creatinine, lipid profile, bilirubin, liver enzymes etc, serum specimens are most favored. Serum separator gel tubes (SST) are being employed in clinical laboratories for testing most analytes.…”