COUNTY, Calif. (September 30, 2008) Beckman Coulter expands its menu for reproductive disease state management with the introduction of the Access® Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) assay for use in the differential diagnosis of conditions of chronic or excessive androgenic activity. The Access SHBG assay may also be used in conjunction with the Access Testosterone Assay to provide a calculated free androgen index. (Vermeulen A, Verdonck L, Kaufman J. A critical evaluation of simple methods for the estimation of a free testosterone in serum. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Oct; 84 (10):3666-72.)
“With the addition of the Access SHBG assay, Beckman Coulter continues to lead the industry in reproductive disease state management by offering essential reproductive assays on one platform,” said John Blackwood, vice president and general manager of the Immunoassay Business Center at Beckman Coulter, Inc.
Access reproductive solutions are part of a comprehensive assay menu featured on Access and UniCel® Immunoassay Systems, including the i class family of integrated systems: UniCel® DxC 880i, UniCel DxC 660i, UniCel DxC 680i, the UniCel DxC 860i and the UniCel 600i. For more information, please visit http://www.beckmancoulter.com/products/testmenu/access.asp.
About SHBG
SHBG is responsible for the transport of testosterone and estradiol in the blood. Less than two percent of sex hormones are free, i.e., able to enter a cell and exert biological activity by activating their specific receptor, with the remainder bound with high affinity to SHBG and low affinity to albumin. The binding of sex hormones to SHBG inhibits their function. Therefore, bioavailability of sex hormones is influenced by the level of SHBG. (Burtis CA, Ashwood ER. Tietz textbook of clinical chemistry. Saunders, 2006. p. 2011-2.)
Beckman Coulter, Inc., based in California, USA, develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than 200,000 Beckman Coulter systems operate in laboratories around the world supplying critical information for improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Recurring revenue (consisting of supplies, test kits, service and operating-type lease payments) represents approximately 78 percent of the company’s 2008 annual revenue of US $3.1 billion. For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com.
