The interlaboratory variability of serum parameters related to the lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol) was evaluated in a group of 32 laboratories in Costa Rica. For that purpose human serum based control materials were prepared and distributed through five surveys performed between March 1995 and April 1996.Frozen serum was used for the first four surveys and liophylized serum for the fifth one. The average coefficients of variation and intervals observed for each parameter were 7,2% (5,5-8,5%) for cholesterol, 11,2% (9,7-12,1%) for triglycerides and 20,0% (14,9-25,0%) for HDL-cholesterol. The maximun variability (total error) allowed to consider aceptable the laboratory performance was equal or less than 5% for total cholesterol, 15% for triglycerides and 22% for HDL-cholesterol. The average percentage of laboratories meeting this criteria was 68,4%, 69,3% and 70,6% for each parameter respectively.This indicated that around 30% of the participating laboratories need to improve their analitical performance in the analysis involved in lipid profile.

total cholesterol; triglycerides; HDL-cholesterol; proficiency testing; standardization; lipid profile