An HPLC Ultraviolet Method Using Low Sample Volume and Protein Precipitation for the Measurement of Retinol in Human Serum Suitable for Laboratories in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: Assessing vitamin A status in populations remains a high public health priority for low- and middle-income countries. However, analytical difficulties with serum retinol measurements persist in international laboratories. Nearly all participants in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention external quality assessment program use HPLC to measure serum retinol, but round-to-round results failing to meet acceptable criteria suggest the need to provide a straightforward stable HPLC ultraviolet (UV) method that can be adopted by these laboratories to improve performance.