Enzyme immunoassay

Enzyme Immunoassay

Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), pronounced /ˈɛnzaɪm ɪˌmjuːnoʊˈæseɪ/, is a biochemical technique used in medicine to detect the presence of an antibody or an antigen in a sample. The term is derived from the Greek words "en" meaning in, "zyme" meaning yeast, and "immuno" meaning immunity, and "assay" meaning to test.

Overview

The Enzyme Immunoassay is a test that uses enzymes and antibodies to detect specific substances. It is a common laboratory technique which is usually used to measure the concentration of substances such as hormones, drugs and specific proteins in biological samples.

Procedure

The procedure of an Enzyme Immunoassay involves the following steps:

The sample with an unknown amount of antigen is added to a plate which is coated with a specific antibody.
After a period of incubation, a second antibody is added, and this antibody is linked to an enzyme.
This is followed by the addition of a substance that the enzyme can convert to some detectable signal, thus producing a color change.
The intensity of this color change can then be measured, with the intensity of the color being directly proportional to the amount of antigen in the sample.

Types of Enzyme Immunoassay

There are several types of Enzyme Immunoassays, including:

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
Radioimmunoassay (RIA)
Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA)
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Applications

Enzyme Immunoassays are used in many different fields, including:

Clinical diagnostics, for the detection of drug use or diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis.
Research, for the measurement of levels of hormones, antibodies, and antigens.
Food industry, for the detection of allergens and food-borne pathogens.

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Enzyme immunoassay