Immunoassay, function

There should be specific, saturable binding to the receptor, accompanied by pharmacological characteristics appropriate to the functional effects, demonstrable using a radioactive, eg, tritium or iodine-125, ligand to label the receptor. Radioligand binding assays (1,6) have become a significant means by which to identify and characterize receptors and enzymes (see Immunoassays Radioactive tracers). Isolation of the receptor or expression of the receptor in another cell, eg, an oocyte can be used to confirm the existence of a discrete entity. 

Radioisotopes have become very important ia the practice of modem medicine, for both diagnosis and treatment. Some diagnoses are done by injecting a radionucHde ia a biochemical form such that it goes to a particular organ, and the measured radiation then allows the functional level of that organ to be determined. A common treatment is to expose a portion of the body, for example a tumor, to radiation from a radioisotope with the source either internal or external to the body. Another usage iavolves radioactively labeled antibodies (see Immunoassay). 

Body fluids are analyzed for T and T by a variety of radioimmunoassay procedures (31) (see Immunoassays). The important clinical parameter for estimating thyroid function, the protein-bound iodine (PBI), is measured as described in treatises of clinical chemistry. High performance Hquid chromatographic (hplc) methods have replaced dc (32,33). 

Assays of ciguatoxin. Determination of ciguatoxin levels in fish was carried out in many laboratories by mouse assays. Enzyme immunoassay to screen inedible fish has been proposed by Hokama (9). No specific chemical assay has been developed, as information on functional groups suitable for fluorescence labeling is not available. Analyses conducted in the authors laboratory on remnant fish retrieved from patients meals indicated that ciguatoxin content as low level as 1 ppb could cause intoxication in adults. An extremely high sensitivity and a sophisticated pretreatment method will be required for designing a fluorometric determination method for the toxin. 

A specific immunoassay for measuring two-chain factor VIIa levels in plasma has been developed to identify activation of factor VII in patients with acute coronary syndromes suchs as myocardial infarction and unstable angina (12). Because regulation of factor VIIa is believed to be mediated by tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), its measurement is also useful in assessing thombotic and cardio-vasular disorders. Because TFPI is released by heparin, its measurement is also useful in assessing the efficacy of heparin and endothelial cell function (93). 

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). 

Plate 16 Schematic illustration of an electrochemical immunoassay based on the poly[G]-functionalized silica NPs on carbon electrode. Diamond stands for the mouse IgG Y shape for mouse antibody red strings for poly[G] (Reproduced from [62] with permission.) (see Figure 14.7)... 

Funke, C. et al., Expression and functional characterization of killer whale (Orcinus orca) interleukin-6 (IL-6) and development of a competitive immunoassay, Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 93, 69, 2003. 

Sensitivity defines the degree to which an assay can distinguish one compound from another of the same nature and an immunoassay is a function of the particular antibody molecules contained in the antiserum. Specificity of the antiserum is a function of the particular antigen used to immunize the animal. Affinity usually measures how strongly bound is the antigen to the antibody. Titer refers to the concentration level of, in the context of the usage, antibody contained in the obtained serum. 

In spite of the great success of the spline functions"Tor radio-immunoassay standard curves caveats are voiced primarily concerning the conscientious choice of the smoothing parameters (25) and the overfitting (26). Both aspects deserve attention in other applications as weTT. ... 

For the determination of these compounds a binding inhibition immunoassay, consisting of the competitive immunoreaction of the unbound antibody present in an analyte-antibody mixture with the hapten derivative immobilized at the sensor surface, has been applied. With the aim of assuring the regeneration and reusability of the surface without denaturation of the immobilized molecule, the formation of an alkanethiol monolayer was carried out to provide covalent attachment of the ligand to the functionalized carbodiimide surface in a highly controlled way. For DDT, the assay sensitivity was evaluated in the 0.004 - 3545 pg/l range of pesticide concentration by the determination of the limit of detection 0.3 pg/1 and the I50 value 4.2 pg/1. 

---