immunoassays Flashcards
what are immunoassays?
methods which utilise the antigen:antibody immunocomplex in order to detect the presence of a specific analyte within a sample
which immunoglobin is used in most reagents?
IgG
what are monoclonal antibodies?
antibodies produced from a single cell line using mouse hybridoma technology
how are polyclonal antibodies produced?
immunise an animal with the target Ag
the animals B cells with then produce polyclonal antibodies as a result
antiserum is then collected which will contain the polyclonal antibodies
what are the advantages of polyclonal antibodies?
wider range of antibodies produced so can be used to test for multiple epitopes on a single Ag
what are the disadvantages of polyclonal antibodies?
if the animal producing the antiserum dies, may lose the ability to produce the correct antiserum
ethical implications due to the use of animals
what are the advantages of monoclonal antibodies?
highly specific to single epitope
grows easily in the lab
the hybridoma cell line is potentially immortal so can produce the Ab constantly and indefinately.
what are the disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies?
the high specificity means a small change in the epitope can make it unuseful
what is the definition of a label?
a molecule which will react as a part of the assay causing the production of a signal which can then be detected
what are the four categories of immunoassays?
homogenous
heterogenous
competitive
non competitive
what are the principles of radio immunoassays?
Ab or Ag is labelled with a radioactive isotope
can be either competitive or non-competitive
the amount of radioactivity is measured
what are advantages of radio immunoassays?
high sensitivity
simple
what are the disadvantages of radio immunoassays?
need specialised equipment which may not be available or may be expensive
health implications
what does ELISA stand for?
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
what kind of label is used in ELISA?
enzyme