Endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactivity in elderly patients with normal serum creatinine concentrations

The effect of digoxin-like immunoreactive substance (DLIS) on serum digoxin determinations in elderly patients with normal serum creatinine concentrations was studied. Patients in the study group were over 70 years of age; the control population was under 55 years of age. All patients had serum creatinine concentrations of less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL. Apparent digoxin content of serum samples from patients receiving digoxin and from patients in each age group who were not receiving digoxin was determined in duplicate by each of two radioimmunoassays: RIANEN (New England Nuclear), which detects DLIS, and Immophase (Corning Medical and Scientific), which is far less cross-reactive with DLIS. Results from the patients under 55 years of age were analyzed for inherent bias between the assay methods. In patients over 70 years of age, concentrations of DLIS (differences between serum digoxin concentrations measured by RIANEN and Immophase) were compared with creatinine clearance values. No DLIS was detected in sera of patients who had not received digoxin. For patients who received digoxin, nearly all apparent digoxin concentrations were within the usual therapeutic range. For patients without liver or renal failure who received digoxin, no significant difference in digoxin concentrations was observed between the RIANEN and Immophase assays in either the young (n = 17) or elderly (n = 26) patients. There was no significant increase in the difference between the RIANEN and Immophase results with decreasing creatinine clearance. In the elderly patients with normal serum creatinine concentrations, there was no evidence that measurement of serum digoxin concentration using the RIANEN and Immophase assays was compromised by DLIS.