Measurement of serum beta 2-microglobulin by a latex nephelometric immunoassay

A rapid and simple technique for the measurement of beta 2-microglobulin on the Behring nephelometer was developed using a commercially available latex-anti beta 2-microglobulin. This is a fully automated assay and no pretreatment of sample is necessary. An excellent correlation with radioimmunoassay (r = 0.972) and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (r = 0.914) was obtained. Haemolysis, lipemia, bilirubin, and rheumatoid factor do not cause interference because of the high dilution of samples and the use of Fab fragments of the antibody. The analytical range extends from 0.6 to 10.7 mg/L. Between-run imprecision (CV) ranged from 6 to 8%.