New one-step enzyme immunoassay for free thyroxin

This enzyme immunoassay for free thyroxin (FT4) involves simultaneous incubation of sample and thyroxin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) in antibody-coated tubes at room temperature. The test can be performed in 90 min. It is not influenced by variations in concentrations of thyroxin-binding globulin (TBG), thyroxin-binding prealbumin, or albumin. With increased concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids, the measured FT4 equivalent concentrations increase immediately, indicating displacement of endogenous thyroxin from its binding sites. FT4 values obtained with this assay for 110 samples, including sera with low albumin and high TBG as well as sera of patients treated with heparin, agreed well with those measured by a two-step radioimmunoassay and with the T4/TBG ratio. The measurable range of FT4 with our assay is 2.5 to 65 ng/L. Intra-assay CVs range from 3.4% to 2.2%, interassay CVs from 6.6% to 2.6% at concentrations of 9 to 45 ng of FT4 equivalent per liter.