Principle Principle Principle
Principle Principle Principle
Principle Principle Principle
ANNUAL REVIEW
Reviewed by: Date Reviewed by: Date
PRINCIPLE
INTENDED USE
KAP reagent, when used in conjunction with IMMAGE® Immunochemistry Systems and Calibrator 1, is intended for the
quantitative determination of kappa light chain (KAP) (free and bound) in human serum and urine by rate nephelometry.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Measurements of kappa light chains are used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with numerous illnesses including
severe liver and renal disease, multiple myeloma, and other disorders of blood proteins.
Should a paraprotein be identified in blood or urine or both, its heavy and light chains should be typed and the
concentrations of polyclonal IgG, IgA, and IgM determined. These studies confirm whether the spike on the
electrophoretic pattern is indeed a paraprotein, they help to decide the probable prognosis, and they show whether the
polyclonal immunoglobulins are so low that they leave a patient vulnerable to infections.1
METHODOLOGY
The KAP test measures the rate of increase in light scattered from particles suspended in solution as a result of complexes
formed during an antigen-antibody reaction.
SPECIMEN
TYPE OF SPECIMEN
Serum
Serum samples should be collected in the manner routinely used for any clinical laboratory test.2 Freshly drawn serum
from a fasting individual is preferred.
Serum
1. Tubes of blood are to be kept closed at all times and in a vertical position. It is recommended that the serum be
physically separated from contact with cells within two hours from the time of collection.3
2. If serum samples are not assayed within 8 hours, samples should be stored at +2°C to +8°C. If samples are not
assayed within 72 hours, samples should be stored frozen at -15°C to -20°C. Frozen samples should be thawed
only once. Analyte deterioration may occur in samples that are repeatedly frozen and thawed.3
Urine
Urine samples may be stored at +2°C to +8°C for up to 72 hours. Frozen samples are not recommended.
Additional specimen storage and stability conditions as designated by this laboratory:
SAMPLE VOLUME
PATIENT PREPARATION
REAGENTS
CONTENTS
Serum Urine
Sample Volume 0.11 µL 24 µL
Total Reagent Volume 344.89 µL 321 µL
Antibody 21 µL 21 µL
Buffer 1 300 µL 300 µL
Diluent 1 23.89 µL
REACTIVE INGREDIENTS
CAUTION
Sodium azide preservative may form explosive compounds in metal drain lines. See
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Bulletin: Explosive Azide Hazards
(8/16/76).
REAGENT PREPARATION
Acceptability of a reagent is determined from the successful performance of quality control testing, as defined in the
QUALITY CONTROL section of this chemistry information sheet.
Storage conditions other than those recommended may cause erroneous results.
Reagent Cartridges
1. Return all reagent cartridges to the refrigerator (+2°C to +8°C) upon completion of the daily workload.
2. The KAP reagents are stable for 30 days with the evaporation caps in place. Alternatively, reagent life can be
maximized by replacing evaporation caps with screw caps and storing at +2°C to +8°C upon completion of the
daily workload.
3. The KAP reagents are stable until the expiration date on the label if the reagents are stored at +2°C to +8°C with
the screw caps in place.
Diluent 1 and Buffer 1
1. Diluent 1 and Buffer 1 are stable on the system for 30 days with the evaporation caps in place.
CALIBRATION
CALIBRATOR REQUIRED
Calibrator 1
CALIBRATOR PREPARATION
No preparation is required.
Calibrator 1 is stable until the expiration date printed on the calibrator bottle if stored capped in the original container at
+2°C to +8°C.
Calibrator storage location:
CAUTION
Because this product is of human origin, it should be handled as though capable
of transmitting infectious diseases. Each serum or plasma donor unit used in the
preparation of this material was tested by United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approved methods and found to be negative for antibodies to HIV and HCV and
nonreactive for HbsAg. Because no test method can offer complete assurance that
HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus or other infectious agents are absent, this
material should be handled as though capable of transmitting infectious diseases. This
product may also contain other human source material for which there is no approved
test. The FDA recommends such samples to be handled as specified in Centers for
Disease Control’s Biosafety Level 2 guidelines.4
CALIBRATION INFORMATION
TRACEABILITY
QUALITY CONTROL
It is recommended that at least two levels of control material, normal and abnormal, be analyzed daily. Refer to the
CALIBRATORS AND CONTROLS section of the IMMAGE® Immunochemistry Systems Chemistry Reference Manual,
for a list of Beckman Coulter controls. Controls should also be run with each new calibration, with a new lot of reagent
or buffer, and after specific maintenance or troubleshooting as detailed in the IMMAGE® Immunochemistry Systems
Operations Manual. More frequent use of controls or the use of additional controls is left to the discretion of the user
based on work load and work flow.
The following controls should be prepared and used in accordance with the package inserts. Discrepant quality control
results should be evaluated by your facility.
TESTING PROCEDURE(S)
1. After setup, load reagents onto the system as directed in the IMMAGE Operations Manual.
2. Select chemistries to be calibrated, if necessary. Load bar coded calibrators, controls, and samples or program
and load non-bar coded controls and samples for analysis as directed in the IMMAGE Operations Manual .
3. Follow the protocols for system operation as directed in the IMMAGE Operations Manual.
CALCULATIONS
The IMMAGE Immunochemistry System will automatically calculate results.
Beckman Coulter‘s nephelometric KAP and LAM reagent antisera measure both free and bound light chains in serum
and urine. Standardization of these protein kits is based on the equivalent weight of the intact immunoglobulin molecules
(IgG + IgA + IgM = Kappa + Lambda). This standardization applies whether the antibody attaches to a free light chain or
to a light chain determinant of the intact immunoglobulin molecule. The resulting antigen-antibody complex is quantitated
with the reported value corresponding to the equivalent weight of the intact immunoglobulin molecules. Approximately
17% of the total mass of the intact immunoglobulin represents a single light chain. If the sample contains no intact
immunoglobulin (as determined by electrophoresis), multiply the light chain result by 0.17 to obtain the true concentration
of free light chain. If the sample contains a mixture of intact immunoglobulin plus free light chain, refer to References (5)
for a method to determine total free light chain.
REFERENCE INTERVALS
The reference interval values for human serum kappa light chains were established using an Array® 360 System,
for a population of 120 apparently healthy male and female adults from California and were verified on the IMMAGE
Immunochemistry System. The reference interval values for Kappa/Lambda ratio were established using the IMMAGE
Immunochemistry System for a population of 122 apparently healthy male and female adults from California. The
reference interval values for human kappa light chains in urine were established on the IMMAGE Immunochemistry
System using the KAP Test for a population of 123 apparently healthy male and female adults, Ames Multistix protein
negative, from California.*
Results for the KAP test are reported in default units of mg/dL. Metric conversion within the same unit category will occur
automatically if a new unit is selected. A conversion factor must be entered when selecting a unit category different from
the default.
PROCEDURAL NOTES
LIMITATIONS
Samples containing monoclonal kappa light chains (free and bound) may result in a condition of antigen excess and
artificially decreased values. Since the presence of an M-protein can normally be detected using protein electrophoresis,
the validity of immunochemical results should be determined by observing consistency with an electrophoretic pattern.
If a sample is in antigen excess at the starting dilution, reassay at the next higher dilution should provide a result more
consistent with the electrophoretic pattern.
INTERFERENCES
1. The following substances were tested for interference with this methodology:
2. Nonspecific interference can occur between less dilute serum samples and polymer-enhanced buffer when off-line
dilutions less than 1:36 are assayed. No interference has been shown for urine samples assayed at these dilutions.
3. Dust particles or other particulate matter (i.e. debris and bacteria) in the reaction solution may result in extraneous
light-scattering signals, resulting in variable sample analysis.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
ANALYTIC RANGE
The KAP test is designed to detect concentrations of this analyte using an initial 1:216 serum sample dilution and
undiluted (neat) urine samples.
Refer to the IMMAGE® Immunochemistry Systems Chemistry Reference Manual section on CALIBRATION
VERIFICATION, for more details on laboratory reportable range.
SENSITIVITY
Sensitivity is defined as the lowest measurable concentration which can be distinguished from zero with 95% confidence.
Sensitivity for kappa light chain in serum determination is 11.1 mg/dL and sensitivity for kappa light chain in urine
determination is 1.85 mg/dL.
EQUIVALENCY
Equivalency was assessed by Deming regression analysis of samples to an accepted clinical method. Values obtained
for KAP using the IMMAGE KAP test were compared to the values obtained using an Array® 360 System. Both normal
and abnormal samples with known positive light chains were included in the analysis.
The equivalency values were determined using patient serum samples ranging from 66.5 to 7,560 mg/dL and patient
urine samples ranging from 1.95 to 1,730 mg/dL. Refer to References (10,11) at the end of this chemistry information
sheet for guidelines on performing equivalency testing.
PRECISION
A properly operating IMMAGE® Immunochemistry Systems should exhibit imprecision values less than or equal to the
maximum performance limits listed below. Maximum performance limits were derived by an examination of the precision
of various methods, proficiency test summaries, and literature sources.
Comparative serum performance data for the IMMAGE Immunochemistry System evaluated using the NCCLS Proposed
Guideline EP5-T2 appears in the table below.12 Each laboratory should characterize their own instrument performance
for comparison purposes.
Comparative urine performance data for the IMMAGE Immunochemistry System evaluated using the NCCLS Proposed
Guideline EP10-T2 appears in the table below. Each laboratory should characterize their own instrument performance
for comparison purposes.13
NOTICE
These degrees of precision were obtained in typical testing procedures and are not
intended to represent performance specifications for this test procedure.
SHIPPING DAMAGE
If damaged product is received, notify your Beckman Coulter Clinical Support Center.
FOOTNOTES
2. Tietz, N. W., "Specimen Collection and Processing; Sources of Biological Variation", Textbook of Clinical
Chemistry, pp 478 518, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA (1986).
3. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Procedures for the Handling and Processing of Blood
Specimens, Approved Guideline, NCCLS publication H18-A, Villanova, PA (1990).
4. CDC-NIH manual, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. (1984).
5. Beckman Special Chemistry Monograph, "Kappa and Lambda Light Chain Measurements", K/L 1.
6. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, How to Define, Determine, and Utilize Reference Intervals
in the Clinical Laboratory, Approved Guideline, NCCLS publication C28-A, Villanova, PA (1992).
7. Tietz, N. W., Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, 2nd Edition, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA (1990).
8. Henry, J. B., ed., Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods, 17th Edition (1984).
9. Statland, Bernard E., "Clinical Decision Levels for Lab Tests", Medical Economic Book, Oradel, New Jersey (1983).
10. Tietz, N. W., ed., Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry, 3rd Edition, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA (1987).
11. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Method Comparison and Bias Estimation Using Patient
Samples, Tentative Guideline, NCCLS publication EP9-T, Villanova, PA (1993).
12. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Precision Performance of Clinical Chemistry Devices,
Tentative Guideline, 2nd Edition, NCCLS publication EP5-T2, Villanova, PA (1992).
13. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Preliminary Evaluation of Quantitative Clinical Laboratory
Methods, Tentative Guideline, 2nd Edition, NCCLS publication EP10-T2, Villanova, PA (1993).
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