Continuous-flow fluoroimmunoassay of serum gentamicin, with automatic sample blank correction

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Gentamicin is a crucial antibiotic requiring precise therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Traditional immunoassays for gentamicin can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.
• Automated methods are needed to improve efficiency and throughput in clinical laboratories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a continuous-flow automated quenching fluoroimmunoassay for gentamicin determination in human serum.
• To assess the performance characteristics (sensitivity, precision, accuracy) of the automated assay.
• To compare the automated assay results with established manual methods and bioassays.

Main Methods:

• Continuous-flow system integrating sample, labeled gentamicin, and antiserum.
• Fluorescence measurement after a short incubation period.
• In-system blank correction using discontinuous antiserum pumping.

Main Results:

• The automated assay achieved an analysis time of 6 minutes per sample, with a throughput of 20 samples per hour.
• Sensitivity, precision, and accuracy were found to be adequate for clinical applications.
• Results showed satisfactory correlation with manual quenching fluoroimmunoassay, polarization fluoroimmunoassay, and plate diffusion bioassay.

Conclusions:

• Continuous-flow automation provides an efficient and reliable method for gentamicin quantification in serum.
• The automated fluoroimmunoassay is suitable for routine clinical use, offering advantages in speed and throughput.
• This automated approach facilitates effective therapeutic drug monitoring of gentamicin.