Antigen, in immunoassay

The aim of this chapter is to discuss fluorescence concepts that are used in selected immunoassay applications. The primary focus is on fluorescence topics of recent interest that provide insight into the characteristic properties of antibodies and antigens in immunoassays, or that describe enhancements in immunoassay technologies. The basic reagents and instrumentation required for immunoassay purposes are discussed first, followed by a brief description of immunoassay formats. The principles that are utilized in various fluorescence immunoassay technologies are outlined with specific examples and their significance. Since it is beyond the scope of this chapter to review all of the applications of fluorescence immunoassays, apologies are extended to authors that this chapter fails to cite. A number of comprehensive treatments of fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) applications and related topics are available. 18 ... 

Murray AM, Kelly CD, Nussey SS, Johnstone AP. (1998) Production of glutathione-coated microtitre plates for capturing recombinant glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins as antigens in immunoassays. J Immunol Methods 218, 133-9. 

Surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) has been used to detect surface-bound chemical species. SPR is achieved to detect the binding events of antibody and antigens in immunoassays. A gold-coated PMMA chip that was sealed by a PDMS channel plate was used. The antibodies were first immobilized on the gold layer. Upon binding with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) 2-hydroxybiphenyl (HBP), the SPR signal was recorded [740]. 

The microplate ELISA testis conducted in standard 96-well microplates. A microplate consists of a 12 X 8 grid of wells for test solutions. The three most widely used ELISA formats are immobilized antigen competitive immunoassay, immobilized antibody competitive immunoassay and sandwich immunoassay. " ... 

Figure 13 Structures of haptens used for immunizing and coating antigens in a monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for diuron. A sensitive assay was developed using coating hapten I that had the handle in a position different from the immunogen hapten. When the oxygen in the urea moiety of hapten I was replaced with a sulfur (hapten 11), increasing the heterology, even greater sensitivity was achieved...

The most common BTA test is an immunoassay-based assay that uses monoclonal antibodies to detect the presence of bladder tumor-associated antigen in urine. In clinical studies, the BTA test was compared with cytoscopy-voided urine for the detection of recurrent bladder cancer. The sensitivity of BTA appeared su-... 

As an alternative, extremely sensitive detection can be achieved with reporter antibody probes tagged with intensely SERS-active compounds or with enzymes that react with substrates to yield SERS-active products. These methods often involve sandwich immunoassay techniques, which increase the number of required steps but offer the advantages of excellent sensitivity and the potential for label multiplexing. For example, Nie and coworkers recently reported the simultaneous detection of two types of antigens in a... 

While antibodies display similar structures - in fact, various types of IgGs are commonly used in immunoassays, antigens and proteins show tremendous variations in size, structure and charge strongly effecting the array performance. 

One of the simplest methods of attaching biomolecules to hydrophobic polymeric particles is the use of passive adsorption. Some of the earliest examples related to the use of particles in immunoassays include the use of non-covalently adsorbed antibody or antigen onto latex microspheres. Protein adsorption onto hydrophobic particles takes place through strong interactions... 

Liposome conjugates may be used in various immunoassay procedures. The lipid vesicle can provide a multivalent surface to accommodate numerous antigen-antibody interactions and thus increase the sensitivity of an assay. At the same time, it can function as a vessel to carry encapsulated detection components needed for the assay system. This type of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is called a liposome immunosorbent assay or LISA. One method of using liposomes in an immunoassay is to modify the surface so that it can interact to form biotin-avidin or biotin-streptavidin complexes. The avidin-biotin interaction can be used to increase detectability or sensitivity in immunoassay tests (Chapter 23) (Savage et al., 1992). 

Figure 22.18 Biotinylated liposomes may be used in immunoassay systems to enhance the signal for detection or measurement of specific analytes. The liposome components may be constructed to include fluorescent molecules to facilitate detection of antigens within tissue sections.

A common application for (strept)avidin-biotin chemistry is in immunoassays. The specificity of antibody molecules provides the targeting capability to recognize and bind particular antigen molecules. If there are biotin labels on the antibody, it creates multiple sites for the binding of (strept)avidin. If (strept)avidin is in turn labeled with an enzyme, fluorophore, etc., then a very sensitive antigen detection system is created. The potential for more than one labeled (strept)avidin to become attached to each antibody through its multiple biotinylation sites is the key to dramatic increases in assay sensitivity over that obtained through the use of antibodies directly labeled with a detectable tag. 

Harma, H., Tarkkinen, P., Soukka, T., and Lovgren, T. (2000) Miniature single-particle immunoassay for prostate-specific antigen in serum using recombinant Fab fragments. Clin. Chem. 46, 1755-1761. 

Antibody molecules have no inherent characteristic that facilitates their direct detection in immunoassays. A second important step in developing a successful immunoassay, therefore, involves the incorporation of a suitable marker . The marker serves to facilitate the rapid detection and quantification of antibody-antigen binding. Earlier immunoassay systems used radioactive labels as a marker (radioimmunoassay RIA) although immunoassay systems using enzymes (enzyme immunoassays EIA) subsequently have come to the fore. Yet additional immunoassay systems use alternative markers including fluorescent or chemiluminescent tags. 

Tests that allow rapid identification of chlamydial antigens in genital secretions are the direct fluorescent antibody test, the enzyme immunoassay (requires just 30 minutes for results), the DNA hybridization probe and nucleic acid amplification tests. 

Despite many novel developments in immunoassay design the principles are confined to two broad approaches those that rely on the competition between antigens labelled with a molecule which may be readily observed (for example, a radioisotope) and unlabelled antigens for a limited number of antibody binding sites and those in which the antibody is available in excess and for which there is no competition for binding sites. 

The presence of a cross-reacting antigen in a sample will result in falsely increased test values when using competitive binding immunoassays... 

Fig. 16. The principal of the immunoassay. Labeled antigen (in this case 125I-labeled antigen) competes with unlabeled antigen for binding sites on a set concentration of antibody. Adapted from Ref. (200).

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