Enzymic assay of total cholesterol involving chemical or enzymic hydrolysis--a comparison of methods.

Manual procedures for estimating serum total cholesterol by use of cholesterol oxidase (EC 1.1.3.6) and the phenol--aminophenazone--peroxidase chromogenic system are described, in which cholesteryl esters are hydrolyzed either by use of pancreatic cholesterol ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13) or saponification by ethanolic potassium hydroxide. Both methods are linear up to a cholesterol concentration of 12 mmol/L and are reproducible (between-run CV, about 1.1%). The chemical hydrolysis method yields results that are about 10% lower than those obtained by enzymic hydrolysis, because of incomplete removal of interfering thiols generated during the saponification of serum. The chemical hydrolysis procedure is much less susceptible to interferences, particularly by bilirubin, but the enzymic hydrolysis system is simpler to perform and therefore has a greater potential for mechanization.