POSTMORTEM LIPID-LEVELS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF RISK-FACTORS OF SUDDEN-DEATH - USEFULNESS OF THE EKTACHEM AND MONARCH ANALYZERS

Elevated serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and free fatty acid levels h ave been identified as risk factors for sudden death from cardiovascul ar disease and increased risk for myocardial ischemia or arrhythmias; therefore, correlation of antemortem and postmortem lipid levels may b e useful in establishing the cause, pathophysiology, or familial risk factors of sudden death. In the present study, antemortem (within 72 h ) and postmortem (within 24 h) cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty a cid, and albumin levels were analyzed in seven autopsied hospitalized patients from the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, Ne w Mexico. The cholesterol, triglyceride, and albumin levels were measu red by dry-slide technology on an Ektachem 700 analyzer, and the free fatty acid levels were measured on a Monarch analyzer with a commercia lly available kit from Wake Chemical. Postmortem cholesterol levels av eraged 13% lower than antemortem levels, postmortem triglyceride level s averaged 38% higher than antemortem levels, postmortem free fatty ac id levels averaged 23% lower than antemortem levels, and postmortem al bumin levels were essentially unchanged (<0.01% higher) from antemorte m levels. Whether the antemortem and postmortem differences in Lipid l evels were the result of postmortem degradation products, a general ph enomenon (such as variable enzyme degradation), or an idiosyncracy of the Ektachem or Monarch systems could not be definitely established. T hese preliminary results suggest that caution should be exercised when Interpreting postmortem cholesterol, triglyceride, and free fatty aci d levels analyzed on the Ektachem or Monarch systems.