Simple extraction method and radioimmunoassay for somatostatin in human plasma

Interference by human plasma proteins in the radioimmunological determination of somatostatin was eliminated by subjecting plasma samples to acid--ethanol precipitation. The assay was performed on the lyophilized supernate from 300 microliters of human plasma, with reagents that are commercially available. Sensitivity was 2.6 pg, corresponding to 8.7 ng/L of plasma. The intra-assay CV was 8%; the inter-assay CV was 12% for a low (30 ng/L) and 15% for a high (100 ng/L) standard. The mean analytical recovery of exogenous somatostatin from plasma was 95%, and the standard synthetic cyclic somatostatin showed parallel dilution curves with extracted plasma samples. Neither gastrin HG-17 and HG-34, pentagastrin, secretin, glucagon, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P, nor pancreatic polypeptide interfered in the assay system. Mean immunoreactive somatostatin in 20 normal fasting subjects was 31.5 (SD 15.6) ng/L and ranged from 14 to 67 ng/L.