RAPID CHEMILUMINESCENT ASSAY FOR LUTEINIZING HORMONE

THIS PROJECT WILL GENERATE A RAPID CHEMILUMINESCENCE-BASED IMMUNOASSAY FOR URINARY LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH). A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM BASED ON A MEMBRANE-SUPPORTED, TWO-SITE SANDWICH IMMUNOASSAY WITH AN ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE-LABELED DETECTOR ANTIBODY WILL BE DEVELOPED. INCORPORATION OF 3-(2' ADAMANTANE)-4-3' PHOSPHORYLOXY)PHENYL-1,2-DIOXETANE (AMPPD) WILL BE INVESTIGATED. DEPHOSPHORYLATION OF AMPPD WITH ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE RESULTS IN A GLOW OF LIGHT THAT WILL BE DETECTED WITH POLAROID INSTANT FILM. PEAK LH LEVELS WILL BE DETECTED AS AWHITE SPOT ON THE FILM, IN CONTRAST TO BLACK OR GRAY SPOTS IMAGED WHEN LH CONCENTRATION IS LOW. THE FILM-BASED RESULTSWILL PROVIDE THE USER WITH A PERMANENT RECORD, WHICH WILL FACILITATE DAY-TO-DAY COMPARISONS FOR BOTH PATIENTS AND THEIR PHYSICIANS. PHASE II OF THIS PROGRAM WILL INVOLVE THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING OF A DISPOSABLE UNIDOSE DEVICE AND A PROTOTYPE OF A DISPOSABLE IMAGING INSTRUMENT. THIS LH ASSAY KIT WILL THEN BE TESTED WITH CLINICALLY RELEVANT LH-CONTAINING SPECIMENS.