Analytical goals for interference

Abstract

Objective analytical goals for interference in clinical biochemical methods have not yet been advocated. We propose that, since total analytical error is ideally less than half the within-subject biological coefficient of variation (CV1), the maximum allowable systematic error produced by an interferent (I) is: I< CV1 - (1.96 CV(A) + SE), where CV(A) is the relevant experimental analytical imprecision and SE is the systematic error. Such a goal may be applicable also to non-specificity, matrix effects and carryover.