Sample depletion and enrichment to improve the quality of diagnostic test results

A method of depleting heterophilic sample interferences from a sample prior to a diagnostic test by preanalytical processing comprising:

• a) combining a microparticle comprising a microparticulate binding surface with a sample in a collection or transfer tube or device;
• b) mixing the sample with the microparticulate binding surface;
• c) incubating the microparticulate binding surface with the sample to bind and capture the heterophilic interferences and interference mechanisms to the microparticulate binding surface;
• and then
• d) separating, removing, or eliminating the microparticulate binding surface from the sample to prepare an essentially microparticulate binding surface-free sample supernatant prior to the diagnostic test;
• wherein the microparticulate binding surface comprises:
• i) a microparticle support surface;
• ii) a binder, binding partner, capture moiety or combinations thereof coupled directly to the support surface;
• the binder, binding partner, or capture moiety is selected from the group consisting of biotin-binding proteins;
• streptavidin;
• neutravidin;
• avidin;
• biotin-binding fragments of streptavidin;
• biotin-binding fragments of neutravidin;
• biotin-binding fragments of avidin;
• alkaline phosphatase (ALP);
• horse radish peroxidase (HRP);
• luminol;
• isoluminol;
• ruthenium;
• acridinium;
• fluorescein;
• N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethyl-isoluminol (ABEI);
• biotin;
• anti-ALP IgG;
• anti-fluorescein antibody;
• bovine, goat, mouse, rabbit, sheep, horse, pig, or donkey polyclonal antibodies to target human anti-animal antibodies (HAAA);
• and mouse IgG, polymerized mouse IgG, Fc fragment of mouse IgG, Fab fragment of mouse IgG, or F(ab′)2 fragment of mouse IgG to target human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA);
• and
• iii) a binding surface that is blocked with a triblock copolymer, wherein the triblock copolymer is Pluronic F108, Pluronic F127 or Pluronic F68;
• and whereby the heterophilic sample interference is depleted to within its Assay Blocking Threshold.