Immunoassay Determines EPO Levels

An anemia immunoassay has been expanded to include quantitative determination of erythropoietin (EPO) in human serum and plasma.

The expanded anemia menu of the Access family of immunoassay systems released by Beckman Coulter (Fullerton, CA, USA), enables hospital laboratories to report rapid, accurate EPO results. This aids in the diagnosis of polycythemia or overproduction of erythrocytes, and helps clinicians to differentiate polycythemia caused by conditions such as decreased oxygen in the tissues from neoplastic bone marrow disorders.

A patient's EPO level can also be used to help predict the response to recombinant EPO (rhEPO) treatment. Significantly elevated levels indicate that the patient might not respond to this therapy. In testing for anemia, the immunoassay is used to detect cancer-related anemia or anemia associated with renal insufficiency.

A serum or heparinized plasma sample of 85 µl is used for the test. The liquid, ready-to-use reagent has an analytic sensitivity of less than or equal to 0.6 mIU/ml. The turnaround time of this automated assay is about 45 minutes. The assay offers 28-day open-pack stability.

The Access family of instruments includes Access and Access 2 immunoassay systems, as well as the UniCell DxI 800 Access immunoassay system, which can perform up to 400 tests per hour. Besides EPO, Beckman's anemia immunoassay includes tests for intrinsic factor antibody, vitamin B12, ferritin, folate, and red-blood-count (RBC) folate. The menu available in the European Union offers more than 55 tests, including tests for infectious diseases, cancer, heart disease, and endocrine function.


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