title: Improved radioimmunoassay of melatonin in serum.
abstract: Melatonin was extracted from serum by using Baker reversed-phase C-18 columns. More than 99% of the applied melatonin was retained by the columns, and more than 97% was eluted from the columns in 300 microL of methanol. We then determined melatonin in the serum extract by a modification of a standard radioimmunoassay, using filtration instead of centrifugation to collect the [3H]melatonin-antibody complex precipitated by saturated ammonium sulfate. These modifications allow more rapid, accurate, and reproducible determination of melatonin than do previously published procedures.
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin