Polate competitive protein binding assay
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorLouis J. Riceberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improvement in a competitive protein binding assay for N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid wherein any folate standard used is N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid complexed with folate binder protein. The protein of the complex is destroyed prior to the addition of immobilized folate binder protein. The immobilized folate binder protein participates in competitive binding with unknown folate and labeled folate reagents.
Claims11
A process for determining the concentration of N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in a biological sample of unknown N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid concentration which comprises separately admixing the biological sample and at least one standard reagent with known quantities of labeled folic acid or labeled folic acid derivative to yield at least two separate test samples, said at least one standard reagent comprising a reconstituted lyophilized complex of N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid-folate binding protein, destroying the folate binding protein of said at least one standard reagent and destroying any binding protein present in the biological sample, adding a known quantity of folate binding protein to each test sample, measuring the amount of labeled folic acid or labeled folic acid derivative which does or does not bind to the added binding protein in each test sample and from said measurements determining the concentration of N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in the biological sample.
A process comprising:
- (A) complexing N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid with folate binding protein in an aqueous based medium;
- (B) lyophilizing said aqueous based medium containing said complex;
- and
- (C) carrying out a competitive protein binding assay for N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid using the lyophilized complex in reconstituted form as a N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid reagent.
A competitive protein binding assay kit comprising:
- (A) N-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid complexed with folate binding protein and
- (B) folate binding protein immobilized on an inert support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.