Subject(s)
Tobramycin/blood , Cross Reactions , Humans , Latex Fixation Tests , Radioimmunoassay , Regression AnalysisABSTRACT
Levels of amikacin in serum were determined in 106 serum specimens by a latex agglutination inhibition card test and by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Linear regression analysis demonstrated a high degree of correlation between the two assays (latex = 0.95 (RIA) + 0.69; r = 0.97). Assay of three control sera containing 7.5, 15, and 30 micrograms of amikacin per ml on 7 separate days showed good reproducibility with a coefficient of variation of 0 to 11.7% for the latex assay compared with 7.01 to 22.2% for RIA. Recovery of amikacin in spiked sera varied between 93 and 108% for the latex assay compared with 90 and 100% for RIA. Because the procedure involves a titer, the latex agglutination inhibition card test produces results which are categorized rather than results which are continuous. However, it is a rapid and specific method for determining amikacin levels in clinical specimens and is particularly useful when processing small numbers of specimens.
Subject(s)
Amikacin/blood , Kanamycin/analogs & derivatives , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Latex Fixation Tests/standards , RadioimmunoassaySubject(s)
Creatinine/blood , Cytosine/analogs & derivatives , Flucytosine/blood , Aminohydrolases , False Positive Reactions , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Determination of serum amylase activity in 100 consecutive patients admitted to an alcohol detoxification unit revealed hyperamylasemia in 39 cases. Further clinical evaluation of 15 of the 39 alcoholic patients with hyperamylasemia was unremarkable except for bilateral enlargement of the parotid glands in two cases. Nine of the 15 patients demonstrated markedly low amylase to creatinine clearance ratio; however, macroamylase complexes were not detected in the sera of any patients. Serum isoamylase separation revealed that the mean salivary isoamylase for the 15 alcoholic patients was significantly (P less than 0.05) elevated as compared to the control values. Individually, the salivary-type isoamylase was clearly elevated in ten patients while pancreatic type isoamylase was elevated in four. These data indicate that elevated serum amylase activity occurs frequently in alcoholic patients. Hyperamylasemia in a large number of alcoholic patients is nonpancreatic in origin and may be related to the injurious effect of ethanol on salivary glands and other tissues.
