Cationic latex particles with Surface amino groups were prepared by a multistep batch emulsion polymerization. In the first one, two or three steps, monodisperse cationic latex particles to be used as the seed were synthesized. In the third and fourth steps, the amino-functionalized monomer aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride was used to synthesize the final functionalized. latex particles. Three different azo initiators 2,2'-azobisisobutyramidine dihydrochloride, 2,2'-azobisdimethylenisobutyramidine dihydrochloride, and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile were used as initiators. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide was the emulsifier. To characterize the final latices, conversions were obtained gravimetrically, and particle size distributions and average particle diameters were determined by transmission electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. The amount of amino groups was determined by conductimetric titrations. Colloidal aspects were ascertained by measuring the electrophoretic mobilities. Activation of these particles with glutaraldehyde produced an efficient reagent for latex-enhanced immunoassay. The covalent coupling efficiency (protein covalently bound with respect to the total amount of protein adsorbed) was compressed between 50 and 80%. The developed immunoreagent was applied to the measurement of serum ferritin concentration in a new turbidimetric procedure that was compared with a commercial nephelometric method; the results obtained with both methods demonstrated that the two procedures correlated well (r = 0.992). (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.