A chemical approach to solving bridging phenomena in steroid radioimmunoassays

Steroid radioimmunoassays (RIA) employ antibodies raised against a carrier protein-steroid conjugate. Individual antibodies may recognize the steroid, the protein or the chemical bridge used to join them together. Use of the same bridge in the tracer results in higher affinity binding of the tracer than the native ligand which in turn results in a loss of sensitivity and precision. We have greatly reduced bridge-binding in a RIA for androstenedione. Conjugates and radioiodinated labels were prepared with either an ester or either chemical bridge. By using an antibody and the corresponding label with the heterologous bridge very sensitive assays were obtained.