A simple procedure for the radioimmunoassay of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in serum: comparison with an immunological purification technique.

A simple radioimmunoassay for the measurement of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in 0.1-0.25 ml serum is described. An antibody prepared against 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone 3(O-carboxymethyl)-oxime-BSA as immunogen was used. A correlation of the 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone concentration found in the serum of normal subjects and of patients with that obtained by a more complex immunological purification method was good (r=0.924, P less than 0.001). Accuracy, precision, and specificity were acceptable with the simple method. Normal values for infants, children, and adults have been established, and the individual concentrations of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in the serum of patients withcongenital adrenal hyperplasia were well separated from normal values.