The Research Roundup provides an overview of the past week’s research from Mayo Medical Laboratories consultants, including featured abstracts and complete list of published studies and reviews.
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) is the preferred method to measure 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels, but laboratories are increasingly adopting automated platform assays. Mayo Clinic researchers assessed the performance of commonly used automated immunoassays, with that of LC-MS/MS, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference values, to measure 25OHD levels. They compared serum 25OHD levels obtained from 219 elderly subjects, enrolled in a vitamin D trial, using the Diasorin Liaison platform assay, and the tandem LC-MS/MS method. Researchers also assessed the performance of the Diasorin and Roche automated assays, expressed as mean percent bias from the NIST standards, based on the vitamin D External Quality Assessment Scheme (DEQAS) reports, from 2013 to 2017. The performance of most widely used automated assays is sub-optimal. Researchers findings underscore the pressing need to re-consider current practices with regards to 25OHD measurements, interpretation of results from research studies, meta-analyses, the development of vitamin D guidelines, and their relevance to optimizing health. The study was published in Metabolism.