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Abstract:
By means of kits, RIA and competitive binding assays are beginning to fulfill their great clinical potential. The reliability of these kits is still difficult to assess. The great variety of assayable substances and differing methods prevent any standard approach to kit analysis. Nevertheless there are means of evaluating many features of RIA kits. More important even than the necessary reproducibility of assays are the means of testing for (1) tracer-specific activity, maximal bindability, damage, and free iodine; (2) assay sensitivity; (3) antisera stability, cross-reactivity, ability to measure plasma zero values, ability to accurately measure serial plasma dilutions; (4) comparability of standard curve slopes from assay to assay. Separation techniques need proper standardization. Correction for incubation damage is recommended. It is necessary to insist on reasonable precise manufacturer's specifications as to antibody specificity and sensitivity. Knowledge of RIA in general and each assay in particular adds to the usefulness of the results obtained in the laboratory.