STANDARDIZATION OF LIGHT SCATTERING MEASUREMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH IMMUNOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS.

Abstract

The concentration of a specific protein present in a complex matrix such as urine, serum or cerebrospinal fluid, is measured by reacting the protein of interest with its specific antibody and then measuring the excess light scattering of the solution produced by the formation of antigen antibody complexes. The lack of established light scattering standards in the area of immunochemical measurements makes instrumental quality control difficult. Both solid and liquid light scattering standards would be necessary to encompass the wide range of instrumentation currently in use. Solid standards that have been used in the past are not suitable for recently developed automated instrumentation. Liquid standards in the form of Ludox, solutions of polystyrene, suspensions of small diameter latex spheres and even pure organic solvents could be used more easily with the continuous flow and discrete automated analyzers. The introduction of instrumental standards at this level of analysis would result in improved overall quality control and facilitate data and method comparison between laboratories.