Immunoassay targets

Table 11. Immunoassays Target-Probe-Enzyme Interactions...

Immunoassays targeted to detect LSD at the usual cutoff concentration of 500pg/mL include DPC RIA, Roche Abuscreen RIA, CEDIA, EMIT, KIMS, and ELISA. Confirmation is typically performed by at the U.S. 

Enzyme Immunoassay. In EIA, antibody (or antigen) is labeled with (or conjugated to) an enzyme, and this reagent is used to complex and quantify the target antigen (or antibody) in a sample. Conjugation may utilize a variety of chemical methods. 

EIAs can be used per se or with a spectrophotometer. Traditionally, EIAs have been developed in 96-weU microtiter plates which provide the immobilization support for the assay, the reaction vessel, and, when linked to a spectrophotometer-based reader, a rapid means to detect and quantify the color resulting from interaction of a substrate with the antibody—antigen—enzyme complex. Automated immunoassay analyzers targeted primarily for use in the clinical laboratory have taken automation one step further, utilizing robotics to carry out all reagent additions, washings, and final quantification including report preparation. 

Figure 1 Schematic of the quasi-equihbria using heterologous haptens in coating antigen immunoassay formats. Ka represents the equilibrium constant for binding of antibody (Y) to target analyte (A). Kh is the equilibrium constant for the binding of antibody to hapten-protein conjugate (H-) immobihzed on a solid phase...

Figure 4 Sandwich immunoassay. A capture antibody (Y) is passively adsorbed on a solid phase. The target protein contained in the sample and the enzyme-labeled reporter antibody (Y-E) are added. Both the capture antibody and enzyme-labeled reporter antibody bind to the target protein at different sites, sandwiching it between the antibodies. Following a wash step, the substrate (<>) is added and colored product ( ) formed. The amount of colored product is directly proportional to the amount of target protein captured...

Several considerations influence the suitability of the immunoassay as a qualitative or quantitative tool for the determination of tissue residues. These include the assay format, the end user (on-farm or laboratory use), effects of sample matrix on the analysis, cross-reactivity considerations, detection levels required of the assay, target tissues to be used in the assay, and the use of incurred or fortified tissues for validation of the immunoassay against accepted instrumental methods. Although these variables are often interrelated, each topic will be discussed in further detail below. 

Additionally it has been our experience that mass spectrometry as a routine detection/identification technique for bacteria is not well received by microbiologists and clinicians who prefer less expensive, less complicated approaches to bacterial typing and identification, such as methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). For that reason we have adapted our MS approach to serve as a means of biomarker discovery that feeds candidate proteins or leads into development as PCR targets or other immunoassay techniques. 

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. 

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