| abstract |
Immunoassay methods and reagents for the specific quantification of amitriptyline or nortriptyline in a test sample are disclosed employing antibodies prepared with amitriptyline or nortriptyline derivatives of formula (III), wherein for amitriptyline, R is CH3, and for nortriptyline, R is H. The present invention also describes the synthesis of unique fluorescein tracers of the structure of formula (IV) and formula (V), wherein for a specific amitriptyline immunoassay, W1 is a heteroatom linked to the aromatic ring at the 2 or 3 position, and for a specific nortriptyline immunoassay, W2 is two heteroatoms linked together and attached to the aromatic ring at the 2 or 3 position, and wherein Q is a detectable moiety, preferably fluorescein or a fluorescein derivative. |