N. Lubenow et al., PHENYLKETONURIA SCREENING WITH A FLUOROMETRIC MICROPLATE ASSAY, European journal of clinical chemistry and clinical biochemistry, 32(7), 1994, pp. 525-528
A fluorometric assay in microtitre plates for the screening of phenylk
etonuria was evaluated and adapted to a neonatal screening programme.
Using this assay, it is possible to determine quantitatively the pheny
lalanine concentration in dried blood spots on filter paper. The test
exhibited a linear calibration curve with a good slope as well as suff
icient precision and accuracy in the statistical analysis. Interferenc
e by other amino acids and antibiotics was not observed. Only elevated
concentrations of leucine interfered to a small degree. The phenylala
nine concentration in dried blood spots of 13 phenylketonuria patients
correlated to that in serum. 7381 dried blood samples of newborn infa
nts were tested simultaneously by both the fluorometric and the Guthri
e test. The results did not show significant differences. We screened
29182 newborns using the fluorometric assay and an online data process
ing programme. The internal repetition rate was 0.64%, the external re
call rate 0.15%. False negative results were not observed. In December
1991 the fluorometric method replaced the Guthrie test in our routine
programme for phenylketonuria screening, and was introduced as a foll
ow up test for phenylketonuria patients.