Liquid Stable Kit Determines Homocysteine in Serum and Plasma

Homocysteine is an indicator of a number of disease markers and should be an integral part of a laboratory’s testing menu.

Produced by the demethylation of methionine, homocysteine is converted by vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid into useful substances. If the body is suffering from a lack of these nutrients, the process of homocysteine conversion is affected and levels rise. Elevated levels of homocysteine (Hyperhomocysteinemia) are a risk factor for a number of health problems including cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, dementia, complicated pregnancy, and osteoporosis.

Low levels of this analyte can also prove to be detrimental. Homocysteine is a necessary component for the production of protein and tissue within the body, therefore levels should not be lower than 5 µmol/L.

The Randox (Crumlin, United Kingdom) kit can aid in the diagnosis of both elevated and depleted levels of homocysteine and the diverse range of potential health problems associated with these.

The kit has liquid ready-to-use reagents requiring no preparation for ease of use and the elimination of reconstitution errors. It includes standards for optimal user convenience. The good on-board stability of 28 days minimizes reagent waste. The measuring range of 1.74 µmol/L to 47.9 µmol/L, allows both normal and abnormal values to be accurately measured. There is limited interference from bilirubin, haemoglobin, intralipids, and triglycerides, enabling optimum performance and the generation of precise, reliable results. A correlation coefficient of 0.98 was obtained against another commercially available kit. Protocols are available for a range of analyzers.

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