The Many Benefits Of Using ELISA Kits

By Harriet Porter


Medical science advances at an astonishing pace on all fronts. The area of diagnostics is one particular field where great efforts are made to devise tests and procedures that can help doctors to diagnose diseases quicker and more accurately. This is important because successful treatment often depends upon an early diagnosis. ELISA kits, for example, have empowered doctors to efficiently detect a wide range of diseases.

Also known as enzyme immunoassay, or EIA for short, this laboratory technique is used to measure the concentration of antibodies or antigens in a solution, normally a blood sample. The ability to determine these concentrations is extremely important in the diagnostic process. Among the main advantages of this technique, when compared with others, is that it is very easy to carry out and a large number of tests can be processed simultaneously.

The importance of being able to detect the presence of antibodies or antigens cannot be overemphasized. Antibodies are proteins that the body produces when a harmful substance in the body is detected. These harmful substances are called antigens. By being able to identify the type of antibody produced by the body, physicians can accurately determine the type of harmful antigens that triggered the production of the antibodies.

The administration of the test is straight forward and painless. A small blood sample is taken from the patient. This sample is then sent to the laboratory where the technician will add the blood sample to an antigen already present in a petri dish. If the blood sample contains antibodies to the antigen, the two substances will bind together. Enzymes are added and the reaction between the antibodies and the antigen is observed.

A lot of information can be gained from an EIA test. This is true even when the simplest form of the test is used. Yet it is possible to administer more complex tests, such as the direct EIA test. In this case a multiwall coats the antigen. This makes it difficult for the antibody to recognize the antigen. Recognition only takes place when very specific enzymes are introduced.

The indirect IEA test is another example of how this protocol can be used in an advanced manner. In this instance the antigen is actually covered by a polystyrene plate. This forces the antibodies to go through two distinct stages before the antigen is detected. This test allows technicians to identify both primary and secondary antibodies. This is valuable because it may eliminate the need for further expensive tests.

In the case of yet another type of EIA test, the sandwich test, pairs of antibodies are tested. The first antibody is covered with a polystyrene plate. The next antibody is then added in order to determine the concentration of the analyte. This is a complicated procedure but it is extremely accurate and flexible.

Nobody will deny the fact that diseases are easier and cheaper to treat if they can be diagnosed at an early stage. Tests such as the EIA help doctors to do just this. Conditions such as HIV, pernicious anemia, syphilis, and many others have been diagnosed early enough to save the lives of the patient, all thanks to this amazing procedure.




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