Radioimmunoassay RIA estimation of antigens drug concentration in blood serum

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a type of immunological assay which is very accurate, extremely sensitive and extremely specific it is employed to quantify the concentration of a antigens or a drug (insulin , or other hormones and drug concentration in the blood sample)

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) requires specialized equipments. It is required to take all precautions which required to handle radioactive material. Hence ELISA is substituted with RIA, In ELISA antigen antibody reactions are estimated by means of colorimetric endpoint indicators in place of a radioactive signal in RIA.

In ELISA enzyme peroxidase reacts with substrate tetra 3’3,5’5 methylebenzidine resulting in change in colour as a indicator for presence of a antigens or antibody.

1.To carry out a radioimmunoassay, a known quantity of an antigen is converted in to a radioactive antigen by tagging it with a gamma-radioactive isotopes of iodine attached to tyrosine ,it is called as radioactive labeled antigen,

2.This radioactive labeled antigen is mixed with a known amount of antibody for that particular antigen,they form radiolabeled antigen (hot antigen) and antibody complex as a result of antigen antibody reaction.

3.Sample of serum (cold antigen) containing unknown quantity to be tested or quantified for a same antigen of that same antigen is added to radiolabeled antigen and antibody complex .

4.A further reaction occurs in between (hot antigen) and (cold antigen) antigen from patients serum, for binding previously added known amount of antibody , the reaction is a competitive between with the radiolabeled antigen and serum antigen for antibody binding sites.

5.As the concentration of serum antigen(cold antigen) increases, the concentration of (cold antigen) binding to the antibody goes on increasing, resulting in the displacement of radiolabeled (hot antigen), At the end point bound antigens are then separated away from the unbound ones, and the radioactivity of the these unbound antigen remaining in the supernatant is estimated.

Radioimmunoassay Standard Curve

6.Using known standards, a standard binding curve is plotted from this curve the radioactivity measured can be extrapolated and the amount of antigen in the patient’s serum to be obtained.

A.More is the concentration of a antigen in patients serum less is the radioactivity measured in bound antigen reading.

B. Less is the concentration of a antigen in patients serum more is the radioactivity measured in bound antigen reading.

Radio immunoassay’s (RIA) are employed in pharmaceutical industry in research and development for estimation of concentration or quantification of blood level or bioavailability of a particular drug molecule where other methods interfere in quantification , this involves first development of an antigen for the drug to be estimated by using RIA.

Radio immunoassay was developed by Rosalyn Yalow and Solomon Aaron Berson , they were awarded with noble prize for sucesfull development of the RIA for quantification of insulin.

Now days RIA is subsituted with ELISA as it is not costly compared to RIA

Here are some articles which will be useful for you in further understanding of aspects of sterile dosage form manufacturing and regulatory affairs and good manufacturing practice in pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical Validation

Types of validations in pharmaceutical manufacturing

Requirements of documents for validation of sterilisation process

How to investigate OOS out of specification results

Determination of Phenol coeeficient of a disinfectant

Sterility testing

Cleen Room Classification

Time limitations in sterile pharmaceuticals processing

Aspects of validation of manufacturing process in sterile pharmaceuticals

Clinical Trials

Controling Pyrogens in injectable dosage forms

Media fill run process simulation aspects Validation of Aseptic Process and Sterilisation