Determination of fetal hemoglobin by time-resolved immunofluorometric assay.

We have developed a "sandwich"-type time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) for fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in hemolysates from adults and newborns, amniotic fluid, and plasma, based on a polyclonal and a monoclonal antibody against human fetal hemoglobin. Microtiter wells are coated with polyclonal capture antibody, and the gamma-chain-specific monoclonal tracer antibody is labeled with a europium chelate. In a simple and fast assay procedure, prediluted hemolysates are incubated in the microtiter wells first with capture antibody for 1 h and, after washing, for 1 h with tracer antibody. The wells are washed and the fluorescence of europium is measured. The mean analytical recovery is 102% and results by IFMA agreed well with values obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography. The analytical range of IFMA is large and well suited for clinical purposes. The detection limit of the assay is 0.2 microgram/L and the measuring range extends to 500 micrograms/L.