The Effects of Epinephrine, Amino Acids and Albumin on the Measurement of Insulin by Radioimmunoassay[*]

Abstract

The ability of anti-insulin serum to bind insulin in plasma is significantly altered by the in vitro addition of arginine, leucine and epinephrine as well as by the final concentration of albumin in the plasma-buffer mixture.

The amino acids (50 µg per ml) or albumin interfere with binding and this results in artefactually high insulin values. Epinephrine (0.125 µg per ml) produces false low insulin measurements.

Key words

Anti-Insulin Serum - Amino Acids - Epinephrine - Insulin Radioimmunoassay

1 This work was supported in part by Grant Number U-1960 from the Health Research Council of the City of New York.

1 This work was supported in part by Grant Number U-1960 from the Health Research Council of the City of New York.