Evaluation of accuracy of 20 different test kits for the enzymic determination of cholesterol.

We evaluated the accuracy of 20 different test kits for the enzymic determination of cholesterol. Using a selected set of standards, we found mean values differing by -9.9 to + 10.7% from values obtained by the Abell-Kendall procedure. Nine kits gave values with a relative bias of less than 2.5%. In the case of the other 11 kits, recalculation with secondary serum standards resulted in values within 5% of the reference values. Depending on the kit used, two different commercially available standard solutions produced results differing by, at most, 8.7%. We obtained indirect evidence that use of esterase of bacterial origin is associated with low values. We ascribe the high values obtained with some kits to positive interference by stabilizers or unspecified compounds in the reagents.