News
04-August 2010 - LGC Standards helps laboratories to
shed light on global vitamin D deficiency
As global concerns about vitamin D deficiency increase,
LGC Standards launches range of reference materials for
laboratories monitoring vitamin D
With vitamin D deficiency being implicated in
an increasing number of medical conditions, LGC Standards, Europe’s leading supplier of
reference materials, has launched a range of reference materials
for laboratories monitoring vitamin D levels.
Global research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in
protecting against a host of health problems such as rickets,
cardiovascular disease, various cancers, multiple sclerosis, bone
diseases, respiratory infection and depression. It has been
suggested that approximately 1 billion people around the world may
suffer from some form of vitamin D deficiency. Formation of vitamin
D occurs within the body and requires exposure to sunlight. The
increasing popularity of indoor activities such as computer gaming,
combined with public health policy encouraging people to reduce
their exposure to sunlight to reduce the risk of skin cancer may be
contributing to the risk of vitamin D deficiency.
The key analytical target compounds for vitamin D monitoring
have been identified as hydroxy and dihydroxy metabolites of
vitamin D. Monitoring of these key metabolites is now routine, with
laboratories using both immunoassay and liquid chromatography–mass
spectrometry and its variants (LC-MSn). The growing availability of
LC-MS/MS has permitted the development of assays which can
specifically target the required analytes with the greatest
clinical significance.
LGC Standards has therefore brought together a range of
reference materials to satisfy laboratories’ requirements for
instrumental analysis of vitamin D-related substances. These
reference materials, from matrix-matched serum samples to deuterium
labelled internal standards, provide laboratories with the
reference standards they require to deliver accurate and reliable
results to clinicians and their patients.
The complete range of vitamin D reference materials available
from LGC Standards includes:
Matrix matched materials
NIST-972 vitamin
D metabolites in human serum
Solutions
NIST-2972
25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 and D3 calibration solutions
CERH-073
25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 (50ug/ml)
CERH-087
25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 (5 µg/ml)
CERH-083
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (100 µg/ml)
CERH-086
5-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (5 µg/ml)
Solid material
TRC-C125700
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3
TRC-H995820
25-Hydroxyvitamin D2
TRC-C144500
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3
Deuterium labelled materials (all D6
labelled)
CERH-074
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3
TRC-C125702
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3
TRC-C144502
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3
These reference materials are available from LGC Standards
(www.lgcstandards.com),
the division of LGC that provides products and services to support
measurement in the laboratory. For prices and ordering information,
please email: uksales@lgcstandards.com or
tel: +44 (0)20 8943 8480.
- Ends -
Notes to editors