THIOCYANATE ION IN SERUM AS AN INTERFERING FACTOR IN THE IN-VITRO BIOASSAY OF THYROTROPHIN

Abstract

SUMMARY The presence of thiocyanate ion in human and rat serum has been shown to account entirely for the non-specific activity of sera in an in-vitro bioassay for thyrotrophin. Thiocyanate was identified by its chromatographic behaviour on Sephadex G-10, G-15 and G-25, and by the ferric nitrate and cobalt nitrate tests. Cigarette smoking increased mean serum thiocyanate levels (as NaSCN) from 0·2 to 0·56 mg/100 ml. It is suggested that serum thiocyanate levels are sufficient to inhibit significantly iodide trapping in vivo and that these findings may be relevant to the non-specific responses observed with other in-vitro bioassays based on radioiodine dynamics.