COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF ASSAYING FOR TRACE AMOUNTS OF PROTEINS

摘要

A new and improved method and composi-tion for determining the presence and concentra-tion of low to trace amounts of proteins, suchas albumin, in a test sample, such as urine.The method includes using a reagent compositioncapable of interacting with low to trace amountsof proteins to produce a visually or instrument-ally detectable and/or measurable response. Themethod can be used in wet assays or in dry teststrip assays, wherein the reagent composition isincorporating into a carrier matrix. The newand improved reagent composition, comprising adye, such as a polyhydroxybenzenesulfonephthalein-type indicator, like pyrocatechol violet; a tung-state, such as ammonium tungstate; and, if neces-sary, a suitable buffer, is incorporated intothe carrier matrix to provide sufficient sensi-tivity to low to trace protein levels and suffi-cient color resolution between low to trace pro-tein levels, thereby affording an accurate andtrustworthy protein assay of test samples havinga low protein concentration.