Fluorescence polarization fetal lung maturity

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Russell JC, A cafibrated fluorescence polarization assay for assessment of fetal lung maturity. Clin Chem 1987 33 1177-84. 

Fluorescence polarization is a dimensionless ratio with values from 0.000 to 0.500 for dilute solutions containing fluorescing compounds (see Chapter 3). Polarization (P) measures the rotational diffusion of the fluorophore relative to its fluorescent half-life. If the half-life is short compared with the rate of rotational diffusion, P will be high. In contrast, if molecular rotation is faster than the excited state decay, then P wfll be low. Shinitzky proposed that for amni-otic fluid, lower polarization values reflected a decrease in the microviscosity of surfactant phospholipids. The fluidity of these phospholipids paralleled the change in lipid composition with maturation of the fetal lungs. This mechanism is incorrect for the NBD-PC method. NBD-PC binds to albumin and to surfactant thus the resulting polarization is a function of the surfactant/albumin ratio. ... 

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