CHE or CHOLIN ordered for a specimen. Which factor can cause incorrect results?

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Multiple Choice

CHE or CHOLIN ordered for a specimen. Which factor can cause incorrect results?

Cholinesterase activity tests rely on a clean, non-hemolyzed sample because the readout is a colorimetric signal that can be distorted by free hemoglobin in hemolyzed plasma. Hemolysis not only changes the sample’s optical properties, leading to inaccurate color development, but can also release intracellular enzymes from red blood cells, further skewing the measured activity. The other factors listed don’t routinely bias this test in the same way: fasting isn’t a requirement for this measurement, the anticoagulant choice (heparin) can be acceptable in many protocols, and recent exercise isn’t a consistent pre-analytical issue for cholinesterase. So, the presence of hemolysis is the factor most likely to cause incorrect results.

Cholinesterase activity tests rely on a clean, non-hemolyzed sample because the readout is a colorimetric signal that can be distorted by free hemoglobin in hemolyzed plasma. Hemolysis not only changes the sample’s optical properties, leading to inaccurate color development, but can also release intracellular enzymes from red blood cells, further skewing the measured activity. The other factors listed don’t routinely bias this test in the same way: fasting isn’t a requirement for this measurement, the anticoagulant choice (heparin) can be acceptable in many protocols, and recent exercise isn’t a consistent pre-analytical issue for cholinesterase. So, the presence of hemolysis is the factor most likely to cause incorrect results.

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