Enzyme immunoassay of free thyroxin in dried blood samples on filter paper.
We describe a double-antibody enzyme immunoassay for determination of free thyroxin (FT4) in dried blood samples on filter paper, with use of a T4-beta-D-galactosidase complex. The measurable range of FT4 concentration in two 3-mm blood discs, each of which contained about 2.7 microL of blood, was 1.9 to 93 ng/L, as determined by comparison with concentrations of FT4 in known serum standards. FT4 in blood samples dried on filter paper was stable for at least four weeks when kept dry at -20 degrees C, room temperature, or 37 degrees C. The mean coefficients of variation were 7.6% (within assay) and 6.4% (between assays). Results for FT4 by this method correlated well with those for serum determined by radioimmunoassay (r = 0.98). The proposed method can be used to differentiate persons with hyper- and hypothyroidism from normal subjects and those with abnormal concentrations of thyroxin-binding globulin. The procedure seems suited for screening studies.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*
D013974:Thyroxine