Perchloric acid interference in enzymatic-fluorimetric-continuous-flow assay methods for measuring glucose, lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol, and 3-hydroxybutyrate in blood.

Abstract

Perchloric acid is commonly used to denature and precipitate proteins in samples before various metabolites are measured in tissue, blood, and other body fluids. However, perchloric acid can interfere in the analytical process, possibly by inhibiting the enzymes used. We have determined the effects of perchloric acid on measurements of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol, and 3-hydroxybutyrate in blood by enzymatic-fluorimetric-continuous-flow assays. There was a net increase or decrease in the apparent concentration of some of these metabolites when the perchloric acid concentration in the samples differed from that of the reference standards-some of these differences were due to the concentration of perchlorate ion and some to the pH of the acid extracts. The results show the need either to add a fixed amount of blood to perchloric acid or to neutralize and remove the perchlorate.