| IFCC Members | ISTH Members |
| Jorgen Jespersen, MD, DSc (DK) | Gilbert White, MD (USA) |
| M. Peter Esnouf, DPhil (UK) | Trevor Barrowcliffe, PhD (UK) |
| To be named | Cornelis Kluft, PhD (NL) |
| Jane Lenahan, (USA) |
The C-SCT is a joint committee of the IFCC and the SSC which was established to "marry" the expertise of the IFCC in the standardization of clinical chemistry tests and the expertise of the SSC in the components of the hemostatic system. IFCC standardization activities, based on well-established principles of metrology (the science of measurement) involve a combination of Reference Materials and Reference Methods to achieve traceable, commutable materials and methods for achieving comparability of test results from routine test methods. Primary Reference Materials are preferably single substances. The mole is the measure of the amount of substance. Biological activities are properties of the molecules and are characterized through the reference methods by which these functional properties are determined. Reference Materials for use in routine methods are generally single substances in the appropriate matrix. For example, the primary reference for antithrombin would be a "pure" substance, the secondary reference material would be antithrombin in a plasma matrix. This power of this approach is particular suitability to accurate comparison of the primary reference antithrombin and antithrombin polymorphs by both structural and functional properties. Because of the impending completion of the human genome sequence, this approach provides a mechanism for establishing clear relationships between gene structure and protein structure, and between protein structure and protein biological activities.
The C-SCT acts as an oversight committee and the communication link between the two organizations. The C-SCT is currently developing draft versions of guidelines for reference preparations and reference methods for antithrombin and Protein C. Extension of this initial effort, which has as its primary purpose the adaptation of IFCC standardization approaches to hemostatic system components, will ultimately be extended to all hemostatic system components through joint working groups of SSC and IFCC.
REFERENCES
Uriano, G.A. and J.P. Cali. 1977. Role of Reference Materials and Reference Methods in the Measurement Process. In Validation of the Measurement Process. J.R. De Voe, editor. American Chemical Society, Washington. 140-161.
Buttner, J. 1991. Reference methods as a basis for accurate measuring systems. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 29:223-235.Revision Date: 06/29/99