Detection of opiates in postmortem tissues by thin-layer immunoassay

The use of thin-layer immunoassay (TIA) for the detection of opiates in postmortem brain, kidney, liver, and lung tissue has been developed. The method is simple to perform, requires no specialized equipment or radioactive reagents, and is sufficiently sensitive for the detection of opiates in postmortem tissues. Sample preparation consists of homogenization followed by ultradialysis to remove protein. The procedure was evaluated in a blind study of 83 postmortem tissue specimens and found to be reliable at tissue concentrations greater than or equal to 200 ng/g as determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA).