According to the study "The transition from gel separatory serum tubes to lithium heparin gel tubes in the clinical laboratory", most clinical chemistry and immunoassay tests can be performed using lithium heparinized plasma (LIH) tubes instead of serum tubes, except for the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test. Lithium heparinized plasma (LIH) tubes have been shown to enhance healthcare quality, improve sample quality, reduce the incidence of aspiration errors, and lessen laboratory staff workloads in clinical settings. However, the reason why the LDH test cannot be performed in most immunoassay and clinical chemistry procedures that use lithium heparinized plasma (LIH) tubes is still unclear.
Since lithium heparin interferes with the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test, most clinical chemistry and immunoassay assays cannot be performed using lithium heparinized plasma (LIH) tubes. An anticoagulant that is frequently used in blood collection tubes to stop clotting is lithium heparin. It may, however, obstruct several colorimetric and enzymatic tests, such as the LDH test. Red blood cells, the heart, liver, muscles, kidneys, and other tissues all contain the enzyme LDH. It is essential to cellular metabolism because it helps in glycolysis by changing lactate to pyruvate. Increased blood levels of LDH may be a sign of illness or tissue injury. Lithium heparin can cause interference with the enzymatic reaction or the assay's detection technique, which can lead to false increases or decreases in LDH activity. Inaccurate results from this interference may have an impact on patient diagnosis and therapy.
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