Abstract

RODRIGUEZ AGUILAR, Sara  and  CUNNINGHAM LUCAS, Louella. Internal quality control of the determination of serum folate by immunometric methods. Rev. costarric. salud pública [online]. 2012, vol.21, n.2, pp.65-69. ISSN 1409-1429.

Objective: To compare two technologies sharing the same principle to determine serum folates in women of childbearing age; and to show the technological improvements, as well as the validity of the derived results. Method: The size of the sample was calculated using the procedure proposed by Fleiss (1981), a multi-stage sampling design was applied and an adjustment due to experimental design of 1,5 was included in the statistical analysis. Results: From the laboratory perspective an improvement in the analytical variability of the folate determination is observed, expressed as the percentage of inter-assay variation coefficient, carried out with two different analytical systems where the variability was 15,3 % with Radio Inmuno Essay and 6,4 % with the automated chemi-luminescent method. The concentration of folates showed a progressive increase during the studied period. Discussion: Historic evidence of 13 years of study demonstrates the technological progress and the improvement in the folate concentration in the population, as a result of the fortification of food that was implemented in Costa Rica from 1997 onwards, including mainly wheat and cornmeal flours rice, and milk.

Keywords : radio-isotope techniques; Immunoassay; Chemistry Techniques; Analytical; Quality Control.

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