Statistical analysis of serum protein electrophoresis results in External Quality Assessment schemes

• Published in: Accreditation and quality assurance Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 149 - 155
• Main Authors: Zhang, Lixin, Van Campenhout, Christel, Devleeschouwer, Nicole, Libeer, Jean-Claude, Albert, Adelin
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Cellulose acetate; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Commercial Law; Ecotoxicology; Electrophoresis; EQA schemes; Estimates; Exact sciences and technology; Food Science; Gamma globulin; General Paper; Globulins; Human health sciences; Laboratories; Laboratory medicine & medical technology; Laboratory tests; Marketing; Médecine de laboratoire & technologie médicale; Other chromatographic methods; Outliers; Proteins; Quality assessment; Robust statistics; Sciences de la santé humaine; Serum proteins; Standard scores; Statistical analysis; Outliers; Robust statistics; Electrophoresis; EQA schemes; Electrophoresis; EQA schemes; Outliers; Statistical analysis; Albumin; Glucose; Multivariate analysis; Statistics; Cholesterol; Protein; Outlier; Laboratory test; Serum
• ISSN: 0949-1775; 1432-0517; 1432-0517
• DOI: 10.1007/s00769-008-0388-4

The goal of External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes is to ensure that results obtained on a particular specimen in a given clinical laboratory are compatible with those obtained by other laboratories on the same specimen. Serum protein electrophoresis is a laboratory test consisting of five fractions (albumin, α 1 , α 2 , β and γ globulins), which sum up to 100% of total proteins. So far, in EQA schemes the five fractions have been analyzed separately as for ordinary tests like glucose or cholesterol. This approach does not consider the fractions as a whole and the linear relationship between them. A statistical approach has been developed to analyze EQA electrophoresis results from a global standpoint by using robust multivariate method to eliminate the effect of outlying profiles. As illustrated on electrophoretic data from the Belgian EQA scheme, the novel approach improves the detection of poor performing laboratories. The method will be implemented in the Belgian EQA scheme on a routine basis.