A Simple Procedure for the Radioimmunoassay of 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone in Serum: Comparison with an Immunological Purification Technique

A simple radioimmunoassay for the measurement of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone in 0·1–0·25 ml serum is described. An antibody prepared against 17α-hydroxyprogesterone 3(O-carboxymethyl)-oxime-BSA as immunogen was used. A correlation of the 17α-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 < 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 17α-hydroxyprogesterone in the serum of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia were well separated from normal values.