Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics has developed a fully automated sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) immunoassay for testing plasma or serum samples on its ADVIA Centaur platform. A free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA) assay for use on the ADVIA Centaur and ADVIA Centaur XP systems is also now available.
The SHBG assay completes the fertility panel on the ADVIA Centaur family of analysers to offer a comprehensive range of testing capabilities. It provides accurate results in the evaluation of androgen disorders including virilisation, hirsutism and polycystic ovary syndrome, and enables the determination of the free androgen index by automatically calculating the ratio of testosterone to SHBG.
The ADVIA Centaur fPSA assay has been developed for use with the ADVIA Centaur Total PSA assay to assist in differentiating prostate cancer and benign prostatic disease. Suitable for men aged 50 years and over, with total PSA values of 4–10 ?g/L and digital rectal examination (DRE) not indicating cancer, the assay determines the %fPSA value. The assay has a fast turnaround time of 18 minutes, excellent within-run precision to ensure accurate monitoring, and onboard reagent stability of 60 days.
