An example of using enzymes as reagents in the clinical laboratory is

An example of using enzymes as reagents in the clinical laboratory is

• A. The hexokinase glucose method
• B. The diacetyl monoxime blood urea nitrogen (BUN) method
• C. The alkaline picrate creatinine method
• D. The biuret total protein method

Answer: (A)

Enzymatic reagents in the clinical lab use a specific enzyme-catalyzed reaction to generate a measurable signal that reflects the amount of the analyte. The glucose measurement using hexokinase illustrates this: hexokinase first transfers a phosphate from ATP to glucose, forming glucose-6-phosphate, and then glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase converts that product to a form that reduces NAD+ to NADH. The amount of NADH produced is proportional to the glucose concentration and can be read spectrophotometrically, giving a highly specific and accurate result with minimal interference. The other choices rely on purely chemical reactions rather than enzymes, such as a diacetyl monoxime reaction for BUN, an alkaline picrate reaction for creatinine, and the Biuret method for total protein. These non-enzymatic methods tend to be less specific and more prone to interferences, which is why the enzymatic hexokinase glucose method is the best example of using enzymes as reagents.

Enzymatic reagents in the clinical lab use a specific enzyme-catalyzed reaction to generate a measurable signal that reflects the amount of the analyte. The glucose measurement using hexokinase illustrates this: hexokinase first transfers a phosphate from ATP to glucose, forming glucose-6-phosphate, and then glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase converts that product to a form that reduces NAD+ to NADH. The amount of NADH produced is proportional to the glucose concentration and can be read spectrophotometrically, giving a highly specific and accurate result with minimal interference. The other choices rely on purely chemical reactions rather than enzymes, such as a diacetyl monoxime reaction for BUN, an alkaline picrate reaction for creatinine, and the Biuret method for total protein. These non-enzymatic methods tend to be less specific and more prone to interferences, which is why the enzymatic hexokinase glucose method is the best example of using enzymes as reagents.