Validated low-volume immunoassay for the reliable determination of direct renin especially valuable for pediatric investigations

INTRODUCTION: The pharmacotherapy of pediatric patients suffering from heart failure is extrapolated from adults due to missing data in children. OBJECTIVES: Development and validation of a low-volume immunoassay for the reliable determination of renin. EXPERIMENTAL: The immunoassay was validated according to international guidelines. RESULTS: The assay allows the reliable determination of renin in 40 μL plasma within a calibration range of 4-128 pg/mL. Between-run accuracy varied from -3.3 to +3.0% (relative error), while between-run precision ranged from 4.9 to 11.3% (coefficient of variation). CONCLUSION: The low-volume immunoassay facilitates the reliable collection of pharmacodynamic data in children.