title: The measurement of amniotic fluid alpha 2 macroglobulin by fixed time kinetic immunoturbidimetry.
abstract: We have developed an assay for alpha 2 macroglobulin in amniotic fluid, based on the technique of Fixed Time Kinetic Immunoturbidimetry. The assay is precise (CV 5% between assays) and has a detection limit of 0.4 mg/l. We have determined the reference range for alpha 2 macroglobulin from 100 amniotic fluid samples from none Neural Tube Defect pregnancies. The data indicates no significant variation of alpha 2 macroglobulin with gestational age and that the results in none Neural Tube Defect pregnancies showed a narrow reference range with a mean of 1.67 mg/l and -/+ 2 SD range of 0.23--3.11 mg/l (99 percentile = 3.65 mg/l). Results in 25 Neural Tube Defect pregnancies are presented.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors