Which HDL quantitation method uses column chromatography?

• A. Gomori procedure
• B. Homogeneous
• C. Column chromatography
• D. Agarose gel electrophoresis

Answer: (C)

Column chromatography separates lipoproteins as they pass through a column packed with a resin that differentiates particles by size or specific interactions. For HDL quantitation, plasma is applied to the column so that non-HDL lipoproteins (like LDL and VLDL) are retained or elute differently, while HDL appears in a distinct fraction that is collected and its cholesterol is measured enzymatically. This direct physical isolation of the HDL fraction is what makes column chromatography the method used to quantify HDL. By contrast, precipitation-based methods (Gomori) remove non-HDL before measurement, homogeneous assays rely on enzymatic steps to specifically quantify HDL without prior separation, and agarose gel electrophoresis separates lipoproteins on a gel rather than providing a routine quantitative HDL measurement.