Chemiluminescence Immunoassay for Progesterone in Plasma Incorporating Acridinium Ester Labelled Antigen

A sensitive, solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay suitable for determining progesterone concentrations in plasma has been developed. The solid-phase antiserum was prepared by coupling a monoclonal progesterone-antibody, raised against a progesterone-11α-hemisuccinyl/bovine serum albumin conjugate, to cyanogen bromide activated cellulose. An 11α-progesteryl-2-carboxymethyltyramine-4-(10-methyl)-acridinium-9-carboxylate conjugate was used as the chemiluminescent label. The assay had a lower limit of sensitivity of 3 pg/assay tube and satisfied accepted validation criteria. Progesterone concentrations determined by chemiluminescence assay were in good agreement not only with a radioimmunoassay in routine use but also with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry procedure.