Antibodies to Testosterone-3-Bovine Serum Albumin, Applied to Assay of Serum 17β-ol Androgens

Abstract

Abstract Testosterone was conjugated to bovine serum albumin at carbon 3, and antibodies to this conjugate were developed in virgin female rabbits. This antiserum, diluted 1:3200, was used to measure testosterone. With tritiated testosterone and anti-rabbit γ-globulin as the second antibody, a doseresponse curve was obtained for doses in the range 0.1-10 ng. The antibody cross-reacts extensively with dihydrotestosterone, so that dihydrotestosterone is measured with testosterone in extracted but unchromatographed serum. Results for pooled serum from men, as measured repeatedly by radioimmunoassay and competitive binding assay for testosterone, agreed well. Seventeen normal men had serum 17β-ol androgen concentrations of 667 ng/100 ml (SD, ±248); seventeen normal, menstruating women had a mean concentration of 69 ng/100 ml (SD, ±18). Values for 17β-ol androgens in adolescent males agreed reasonably with testosterone values reported by other investigators. Values are presented for patients with various androgenic disorders. This procedure is easy; many samples can be processed at one time.