Abstract

Background: Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) has been shown to be a rapidly rising and sensitive biochemical marker especially for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of temperature on the capacity of cobalt binding to human albumin and the influence of this variable on IMA measurement.
Methods: The following temperatures of incubation were tested for human albumin standard 25°C, 28°C, 31°C, 34°C, and 37ºC and for patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, room temperature and 37ºC. IMA was measured by cobalt-albumin binding assay.
Results: There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.98, p<0.001) between IMA and the assay temperatures. IMA levels were 0.68 ±0.25 absorbance units (ABSU) at room temperature and 0.92 ±0.33 ABSU (p<0.001) at 37ºC in the study participants.
Conclusions: IMA values were influenced by the assay temperature.

DOI: Clin. Lab. 2012;58:169-172