This discipline involves the analysis of cells, blood and other body fluids for their chemical, biochemical and hormonal components. Biochemical tests are most often applied to samples of serum, plasma and urine where levels of specific chemicals are measured and the results compared with that representative of a healthy individual.

An increase or decrease in any particular component(s) can help to identify a disease process. Measurement of blood glucose (sugar) and lipids (fats) are among the commonly performed tests in the biochemistry laboratory. Panels of tests can be used to assess the function of major body organs such as the liver, kidneys and heart. Specialized assays are used to measure the levels of various hormones in the blood.

Such results are of value in the assessment of fertility and monitoring of in-vitro fertilization programs. Toxicology is a specialized branch of biochemistry and involves the measurement of drugs and toxins in body fluids. Those often tested for include alcohol, barbiturates and therapeutic drugs.

Biochemical profile

The biochemical profile is a series of blood tests used to evaluate the functional capacity of several critical organs and systems, such as the liver and kidneys. These tests can be done on an empty stomach or not, and are usually accompanied by a complete blood count (CBC).

Diabetes: level of glucose (blood sugar) and HbA1c reflex panel in cases of high blood sugar (non-fasting assessment.

Renal function: urea, creatinine, eGFR (calculation of glomerular filtration rate), uric acid, phosphorus

Gout: uric acid.

Bone health, parathyroid gland function, vitamin D status: calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP).

Risk of cardiovascular disease: cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (if triglyceride level is too high).

Liver and bile duct function: total bilirubin, ALP, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), albumin.

Hemolytic disorders: total and direct bilirubin (if necessary).

Nutritional status and bone marrow function: proteins, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, LDH.

The different elements of the biochemical profile allow the clinician to specify different diagnostic options that can subsequently be confirmed through additional tests (refer to the sections concerning each of these tests).