The use of a monoclonal antibody for the determination of atrial natriuretic peptides in human plasma.

A monoclonal antibody (mab) directed against alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptides (alpha-hANP) was produced. Using this mab a radioimmunoassay for the determination of hANP-like immunoreactivity in human plasma was established. To demonstrate the possible application of this radioimmunoassay for clinical diagnosis, plasma levels were measured in healthy subjects and in patients with renal failure before and after hemofiltration or hemodialysis. Plasma levels in healthy subjects ranged between less than 30 and 124 pg/ml. Mean plasma concentrations of hANP-IR in uremic subjects were 324 pg/ml before and 113 pg/ml after hemofiltration or hemodialysis.