Evaluation of enzyme immunoassays for determination of thyroxine (EMIT, ENZYMUN) and of thyroxine binding index.

An evaluation of enzyme immunoassays for determination of thyroxine in serum (EMIT ABA thyroxine assay, Syva Corp., ENZYMUN assay thyroxine, Boehringer Mannheim) and of thyroxine binding index (ENZYMUN assay TBI1), Boehringer Mannheim) is presented. The precision of the enzyme immunoassays was adequate (coefficients of variation ranged from day to day with EMIT from 3--11% and with ENZYMUN from 4--11%). Both assays are specific and easy to perform. About 20 unknown samples can be analyzed in duplicate by EMIT within 60 minutes and by ENZYMUN within 250 minutes. A comparison of the results obtained by enzyme immunoassays and radioimmunoassay in a series of about 100 patients showed a good correlation between both methods. The precision of the ENZYMUN TBI assay was adequate (coefficient of variation from day to day 4.9%) and the thyroxine/TBI-ratio correlated well with the thyroxine/TBG-ratio.