Zaroulis C G, Hoffman B J, Kourides I A
Am J Hematol. 1981;11(1):85-92. doi: 10.1002/ajh.2830110110.
Bioassays for human erythropoietin are cumbersome, time-consuming, and insensitive. The purification of human erythropoietin (EP) had provided small quantities of highly bioactive EP (approximately 70,000 U/mg) required for the development of an EP radioimmunoassay (RIA). The RIA for EP described in this investigation, can detect 5 mU/ml of EP in the assay tube; the serum concentration of EP in normal individuals ranged from less than 18 to 81 mU/ml with a mean value of 29 mU/ml. In contrast, nine patients with severe aplastic anemia had markedly elevated serum EP concentrations with a mean value of 3,487 mU/ml, range 984--6,434 mU/ml. In this RIA, patients with Polycythemia vera had consistently undetectable EP concentrations, less than 18 mU/ml. Eleven patients with chronic renal failure had a higher mean serum EP concentration (40.5 mU/ml) than normal individuals, but the range (less than 18-115 mU/ml) overlapped that of normals. By immunologic and gel chromatographic criteria, EP measured in serum was similar to standard urinary EP. The EP immunoassay that we have developed has sufficient sensitivity and specificity not only to quantitate the elevated serum EP levels found in aplastic anemia but also to discriminate decreased from normal serum concentrations of EP in most circumstances. This simple, reliable RIA has provided the necessary framework upon which to increase our understanding of the importance of EP in hematopoiesis.
人促红细胞生成素的生物测定既繁琐、耗时，又不灵敏。人促红细胞生成素（EP）的纯化提供了开展EP放射免疫测定（RIA）所需的少量高生物活性EP（约70,000 U/mg）。本研究中描述的EP的RIA，在测定管中可检测到5 mU/ml的EP；正常个体的血清EP浓度范围为低于18至81 mU/ml，平均值为29 mU/ml。相比之下，9例重型再生障碍性贫血患者的血清EP浓度显著升高，平均值为3,487 mU/ml，范围为984 - 6,434 mU/ml。在该RIA中，真性红细胞增多症患者的EP浓度始终检测不到，低于18 mU/ml。11例慢性肾衰竭患者的平均血清EP浓度（40.5 mU/ml）高于正常个体，但其范围（低于18 - 115 mU/ml）与正常个体重叠。根据免疫学和凝胶色谱标准，血清中检测到的EP与标准尿EP相似。我们开发的EP免疫测定法具有足够的灵敏度和特异性，不仅能够定量再生障碍性贫血患者血清中升高的EP水平，而且在大多数情况下能够区分EP血清浓度低于正常与正常的情况。这种简单、可靠的RIA为增进我们对EP在造血过程中的重要性的理解提供了必要的框架。
