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Hematology

Vol. 60 No. 1 (2026): Acta Bioquímica Clínica Latinoamericana

Quantification of free hemoglobin in plasma by microvolume spectrophotometry

Submitted
March 5, 2026
Published
2026-03-10

Abstract

Free hemoglobin in plasma (FHP) is an important biomarker in various medical conditions, such as cardiovascular, renal, and hematological diseases. Despite its clinical significance, the precise quantification of FHP has been challenging due to the lack of sensitive and specific techniques. This study presents a new technique for the quantification of FHP based on the use of microvolume spectrophotometry, which has demonstrated excellent analytical performance, allowing reliable measurement in plasma samples even in the presence of interfering substances. The simple linear regression study at 415 nm showed a slope of 0.0840 mg/dL, a y-intercept of 0.4288, and a coefficient of determination of 0.9616. The inaccuracy for 5 mg/dL was 4.84 mg/dL and for 20 mg/dL, 19.14 mg/dL. The total analytical error was 14.60% for 5 mg/dL and 12.27% for 20 mg/dL. The analytical recovery was 99.96% for 5 mg/dL and 98.1267% for 20 mg/dL. The detection and quantification limits were 1.61 mg/dL and 3.22 mg/dL, respectively. The reference values for the studied patients ranged from 7.84 to 9.73 mg/ dL. Its validation across a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions allows it to be recognized as a robust and versatile technique. This new method is accurate, sensitive, and specific, with performance comparable to or better than traditional methods. It can be applied using only a single drop of plasma, making it ideal for pediatric patients. It effectively detects interference from lipids and bilirubin. Although limited in processing capacity and relatively high in cost, it is considered robust and clinically useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of hemolysis-associated disorders. It represents a significant progress in the quantification of FHP in both clinical and research settings.