Improved receptor assay for measuring digoxin activity

We describe a receptor assay of digoxin activity involving Na+/K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.37) derived from human heart tissue. The procedure requires 500 microL of serum or plasma and incorporates one purification step, with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges (Waters). The method appears to be considerably more specific for digoxin and its cardio-active metabolites than are conventional immunoassays. Cardio-inactive metabolites and several digoxin-like factors cross react only slightly. The between-day coefficient of variation for the procedure ranged from 8.10% to 1.37% for digoxin concentrations between 0.5 and 5.0 nmol/L.