Which term describes high lipid content in plasma?

Which term describes high lipid content in plasma?

• A. Lipemia
• B. Hemolysis
• C. Icterus
• D. Evaporation

Answer: (A)

Lipemia describes high lipid content in plasma, which gives the plasma a milky or turbid appearance because triglyceride-rich lipoproteins like chylomicrons and VLDL are present in elevated amounts. This condition often follows a fatty meal or arises from disorders causing hyperlipidemia, and it can persist in some metabolic states. Lipemic plasma can interfere with many laboratory tests, especially colorimetric assays that rely on clear light transmission, leading to erroneous results. It’s different from hemolysis, which turns plasma pink to red from free hemoglobin, and from icterus, which colors plasma yellow from bilirubin. Evaporation isn’t related to lipid content and would simply concentrate the sample rather than cause lipemia.

Lipemia describes high lipid content in plasma, which gives the plasma a milky or turbid appearance because triglyceride-rich lipoproteins like chylomicrons and VLDL are present in elevated amounts. This condition often follows a fatty meal or arises from disorders causing hyperlipidemia, and it can persist in some metabolic states. Lipemic plasma can interfere with many laboratory tests, especially colorimetric assays that rely on clear light transmission, leading to erroneous results. It’s different from hemolysis, which turns plasma pink to red from free hemoglobin, and from icterus, which colors plasma yellow from bilirubin. Evaporation isn’t related to lipid content and would simply concentrate the sample rather than cause lipemia.