Table 4 Details of the blood volume required, assays to be used, intra-assay variability, and measuring range

 Estradiol

PST/SST

Electrochemiluminescent immunoassay

500 μL plasma/serum

6

8.4–15,781 pmol/L

 Progesterone

PST/SST

Chemiluminescent immunoassay

200 μL plasma

6

0.48–190.8 nmol/L

 Testosterone

PST/SST

Chemiluminescent immunoassay

0.5 mL plasma/serum

9

0.35–52.1 nmol/L

 Free Testosterone

Calculated

 SHBG

SST

Chemiluminescent immunoassay

0.5 mL serum

7

0.02–180 nmol/L

 Albumin

PST/SST

Bromcresol purple binding/colorimetric

0.2 mL plasma/serum

2.5

1–100 g/L

 Cholesterol (total)

PST/SST

Enzymatic colorimetric—cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase

0.2 mL plasma/serum

1.7

0.08–20.8 mmol/L

 LDL

Calculated

 HDL

PST/SST

Enzymatic colorimetric—PEG-modified cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase

0.2 mL plasma/serum

2.5

0.10–3.12 mmol/L

 TG

PST/SST

Hydrolysis of TG by a lipoprotein lipase to glycerol, followed by oxidation to form hydrogen peroxide

0.2 mL plasma/serum

2.5

0.10–11.40 mmol/L

 TSH

PST/SST

Two-site chemiluminescent immunoassay (Siemens Centaur reagent)

1.0 mL plasma/serum

5.0

0.01–150 mU/L

 CBC

EDTA

Beckman-Coulter GEN-S (Calibrated with SCAL kit)

4 mL whole blood

 Creatinine

PST/SST

Enzymatic colorimetric—creatininase

0.2 mL plasma/serum

2.0

5–3000 μmol/L

 ALT

PST/SST

Rate UV without pyridoxal phosphate activation

0.2 mL plasma/serum

3.0

4–600 U/L

 Bilirubin (total)

PST/SST

Colorimetric (diazonium ion, with blank)

0.2 mL plasma/serum

3.0

2–600 μmol/L

 hsCRP

PST/SST

Particle enhanced turbidimetric assay

0.2 mL plasma/serum

2.0

0.1–20 mg/L