The nature of big plasma somatostatin: Implications for the measurement of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in human plasma

J. Michael Conlon, Myrtle Bridgeman, K. George M.M. Alberti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Big plasma somatostatin (BPS) represents an artifact of measurement. High-molecular-weight globulins (α, β, and γ) in human plasma inhibit, in a concentration-dependent manner, the binding of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs to antibody directed against somatostatin. The magnitude of inhibition varies with antibody and plasma sample and is greatest for the α-globulin fraction. The mechanism of inhibition involves binding of plasma globulins to antibody, thereby blocking tracer-binding sites, and does not involve inhibition by somatostatin bound noncovalently to plasma proteins or tracer degradation. Thus BPS arises from a property of plasma rather than of somatostatin and so it is suggested that this mechanism may account for the presence of other "big" forms of hormones in plasma.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)243-252
Number of pages10
JournalAnalytical Biochemistry
Volume125
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 15 Sept 1982

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