Hydrophobic compounds interfere in radioimmunoassay for basic protein in myelin

Hydrophobic compounds influenced the accuracy of the radioimmunoassay for myelin basic protein when lipids (stearic acid, phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, cerebroside, sulfatide, or GM1 ganglioside) or proteolipids (white-matter proteolipid apoprotein, kidney proteolipid apoproteins, or heart proteolipid apoproteins) were added to a known amount of basic protein and the samples assayed. All of these interfere with the assay, but the direction of the error depends on the quantity added: low concentrations of lipid decrease apparent basic protein, high concentrations enhance it. Obviously, results of basic-protein assays must be interpreted carefully.