Following on from the success of the fCAL® turbo and the fPELA® assays, BÜHLMANN has now launched the sCAL® turbo for serum calprotectin, that operates on the same principles as its predecessors.
The BÜHLMANN sCAL® turbo runs on the mainstream clinical chemistry analysers and the time to first result is 10 minutes, with further results following every few seconds thereafter.
This change in the technology to access the serum level of calprotectin will enable patients and pathways to benefit from the improved turn around times that calprotectin and elastase testing have gained over recent years.
There is as much calprotectin in white cells as there is haemoglobin in red cells, accounting for around 60% of the soluble protein content. In conditions which provoke an inflammatory response the level of calprotectin in the blood can increase significantly and although it is a non-specific marker, it can be used to aide diagnosis and determine the severity of certain conditions, in conjunction with other clinical evidence.
The diagnostic advantage of calprotectin detection over other disease markers is that it is stored in the cell and released immediately in response to local situations. In contrast, other markers may be released by downstream pathways or need to be synthesised, leading to delays in detection.
Although calprotectin is a non-specific marker, there have been publications that demonstrate it to be of value in the diagnosis and monitoring of various conditions. Historically the primary application has been for rheumatoid and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, but there are also publications to show it to be of value in:
• An early marker for sepsis
• An early marker for acute coronary syndromes
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Behcet’s disease
• Still’s disease
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Systemic sclerosis
• Primary Sjorgens Syndrome
Correlation
sCAL turbo shows excellent correlation to other turbidimetric assays that are available. See scatter graph, light − BÜHLMANN sCAL turbo compared to Gentian GCAL®.
Assay Details
The sample volume required for the assay is only ~2-3μl, with results available in 10 minutes over a range of 0.23 – 15μg/ml, although the samples can be diluted automatically to give values covering 15 – 225μg/ml if required. The reagents are all in a stable, ready to use format, and have an on board stability of 55 days.
Click here for more information on serum calprotectin testing from BÜHLMANN (lateral flow POC, laboratory ELISA or the new sCAL® turbo assay) or ask your local Key Account Manager for more information.
