What are the two general methods for triglyceride measurement?

• A. Chemical Methods and Immunoassays
• B. Enzymatic Methods and Immunoassays
• C. Chemical Methods and Enzymatic Methods
• D. Radiometric Methods and Enzymatic Methods

Answer: (C)

Triglyceride measurement in the clinical lab falls into two broad method families: chemical methods and enzymatic methods. In the enzymatic approach, triglycerides are first hydrolyzed by lipase to glycerol and fatty acids, and the released glycerol is then processed through a series of enzyme-coupled steps (glycerol kinase, glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase, and a peroxidase-based color reaction) to yield a color signal that correlates with the triglyceride level. This method is highly specific for glycerol derived from triglycerides and is widely used because it provides accuracy and robustness in routine testing. In chemical methods, triglycerides are broken down by chemical means and the resulting products or glycerol are detected by a colorimetric reaction or another chemical readout; these older approaches are less selective and more prone to interference, and are used less often today. Thus, the two general methods are chemical methods and enzymatic methods.