Main source of error in lipase determination?

• A. Hemolysis
• B. Lipemia
• C. Icterus
• D. Bacterial interference

Answer: (A)

Hemolysis is especially troublesome for lipase tests because these are usually colorimetric assays that depend on precise optical readings. When red blood cells break open, free hemoglobin and other intracellular substances flood the sample. Hemoglobin strongly absorbs and scatters light, which distorts the absorbance or rate measurement the assay relies on. This can make lipase activity appear higher or lower than it truly is, and the effect is often hard to correct after the fact.

Lipemia and icterus can also interfere—lipid turbidity and bilirubin color can skew optical readings—but many lipase methods have ways to mitigate these, such as using alternative wavelengths, corrections, or sample handling. Bacterial interference is more about sample quality and potential contamination, not the analytic readout itself.