Comparison of radioassay and microbiological assay for serum folate, with clinical assessment of discrepant results. [Comparison of RIA bits using /sup 3/H-, /sup 125/I-, and /sup 75/Se-labelled folate]
Folate assays by use of radiolabeled folate provide obvious practical advantages over the standard microbiological assay, but remain incompletely tested. We therefore compared results for 415 sera with a kit involving /sup 3/H-labeled folate and the Lactobacillus casei microbiological method. We examined the patients' data when there were discrepancies between the two methods. Although the correlation overall was satisfactory, results were discrepant in 25% of cases. In 74% of the latter, the radioassay result appeared to be the correct one, primarily because L. casei results were suppressed by antibiotics being taken by the patient. The radioassay occasionally gave falsely high values for patients with liver disease and falsely low ones for patients who had received isotopes for scanning purposes. Several assay kits that make use of /sup 125/I- or /sup 75/Se-labeled folate were also tested. Although these results correlated with the results of /sup 3/H-labeled folate assay, various problems appeared, including the possible need for serum-supernate control tubes in one kit. Answers to these and other questions and careful clinical correlation of results are needed for any folate radioassays before their adoption for routine clinical use.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
- OSTI ID:
- 6477467
- Journal Information:
- Clin. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 24:12
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOASSAY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
FOLIC ACID
RADIOASSAY
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC USES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
BLOOD SERUM
IODINE 125
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
PATIENTS
SELENIUM 75
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
AMINO ACIDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PTERIDINES
RADIOISOTOPES
SELENIUM ISOTOPES
TESTING
USES
VITAMIN B GROUP
VITAMINS
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550600 - Medicine
551001 - Physiological Systems- Tracer Techniques