Development and application of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for acid stable trypsin inhibitor (ASTI) in human plasma.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for acid-stable trypsin inhibitor was developed using goat antibodies raised against urinary trypsin inhibitor purified from normal human urine. The assay was highly sensitive and precise, and gave reproducible results in the range of 1-1,000 ng/ml. The specificity and sensitivity of this assay permitted measurement of a low content of acid stable trypsin inhibitor in different tissue extracts and body fluids. Using the new method, the mean level in plasma samples taken from healthy individuals was found to be 54.9 +/- 17.4 (mean +/- SD) micrograms/ml and that of acid-treated plasma was 11.5 +/- 3.0 micrograms/ml (n = 27). The calculated specific activity of acid stable trypsin inhibitor in acid treated plasma was 300 U/mg, while that of highly purified inhibitor is 2,100 U/mg. These results suggest the presence of both acid unstable protein having the same antigenicity as urinary trypsin inhibitor and the inactive form of acid stable trypsin inhibitor.