Comparison of Abbott Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay (FPIA) and Roche Radioimmunoassay for the Analyses of Cannabinoids in Urine Specimens

• NCJ Number: 136033
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 632-635
• Author(s): W T Budgett; B Levine; A Xu; M L Smith
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Test/Measurement
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Abbott fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and Roche Abuscreen radioimmunoassay (RIA) were compared qualitatively with 142 urine specimens that contained 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid, the major urinary metabolite of marijuana.

Abstract

A total of 142 specimens were analyzed by FPIA and RIA using the 100-ng/ml cut-off. The samples represented a range of concentrations above and below this administrative screening cut-off. Of the 142 specimens tested, 132 generated the same qualitative results. All specimens negative by FPIA and positive by RIA were within 20 percent of the cut-off, and seven of the nine specimens were within 10 percent of the cut-off. Similarly, the RIA counts per minute of the specimens negative by RIA and positive by FPIA were within 10 percent of the counts per minute produced by the cut-off calibrator. These data suggest that the RIA antibody might have slightly broader specificity in screening for cannabinoids; however, this slight difference is not significant. The study concludes that either of these immunoassays could be used singularly in a mass drug-screening laboratory and generate comparable results. 1 table, 1 figure, and 3 references