A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for beta-endorphin without gel filtration of plasma extracts has been developed by using newly raised antibody. The minimal detectable quantity was 5 pg, and ED 50 was 23 pg/ml. The crossreactivity of antibody with beta-lipotropin was 3.3%, but not showed crossreaction with other fragments of beta-lipotropin, beta-MSH and ACTH. The inter-assay coefficient of variation was 2.7% to 17.4%, and the intra-assay coefficient of variation was 4.5% to 26.4%, respectively. The mean recovery for unlabeled beta-endorphin added to plasma and extracted was 92.1% to 110.4%. Plasma levels of beta-endorphin in 40 normal subjects was 14.7 +/- 3.1 pg/ml and 14.8 +/- 1.1 pg/ml in 10 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis whose renal function was normal. There was no significant difference between the two groups. On the other hand, plasma levels of beta-endorphin in 16 patients on maintenance hemodialysis was significantly increased of 56.3 +/- 6.3 pg/ml than the other two groups. Physiological role of this high beta-endorphinemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis still remains to be resolved.