Simple procedures can markedly enhance automated immunoassay performance.
Theoretically, optimal performance for an immunoassay system is achieved when both the interassay and within-run precisions are identical. Using the Ciba Corning ACS:180 automated immunoassay system, the authors made two simple changes to the operating procedures that allowed near-optimal analytic performance (as assessed with the interassay coefficient of variation determined by the protocol of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) for four of six hormones: thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, and human chorionic gonadotropin. At low hormone concentrations, the 20% interassay coefficients of variation for the hormones assayed were as follows: free tetraiodothyronine, 1.74 pM; thyroid-stimulating hormone, .033 mIU/L; luteinizing hormone, .21 U/L; follicle-stimulating hormone, .69 U/L; prolactin, 5.03 mU/L; and human chorionic gonadotropin, 1.52 mU/L. The operational enhancements improved the analytic performance of the assay for all hormones assessed compared with the performance of previously used isotopic immunoassays.
Division of Chemical Pathology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
G
G
Ward
M
M
White
P E
PE
Hickman
D001322:Autoanalysis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D006728:Hormones