Determinazione della benzoilecgonina su siero e su sangue cadaverico. Studio di applicazione di tecnica immunoenzimatica (Emit II PLUS):

Direct detection of Benzoylecgonine in serum and post-mortem blood by Emit® II Plus Cocaine Metabolites immunoassay. An EMIT® II PLUS Cocaine Metabolites Assay for urine testing was applied on VIVA-Twin™ Dade-Behring analyzer, for the detection of the cocaine metabolite Benzoylecgonine in human serum and post-mortem blood. The aim of our study came from the need to realize a reliable screening method on serum and post-mortem blood, instead of using a RIA method, to determine cocaine and metabolites. In this work we realized a first calibration curve, entirely on serum, and then a second calibration curve on EMIT® Calibrator/Control Level 0,2,3, commercial reagents and, finally, we analyzed real samples on both of them, previously tested with RIA and confirmed with GC/MS method. On that serum calibration curve, we analyzed post-mortem blood samples too, previously deproteined with acetone, and tested with GC/MS method. The results of the modified EMIT immunoassay system presented here were good on both the series examined, with a valid correspondence (absence of false negative), but we found a certain difficulty in identify an advisable cut-off. The method in any case seems to be useful for screening of cocaine in serum and post-mortem blood samples, in alternative to RIA method.