
Salient Features of ELISA Test
- ELISA test has high sensitivity and specificity
- The result of quantitative ELISA tests can be read visually
- A large number of tests can be done at one time
ELISAs are designed specifically for screening large numbers of specimens at a time, making them suitable for use in surveillance and centralized blood transfusion services.
- Reagents used for ELISA are stable and can be distributed in district and rural laboratories but as ELISAs require sophisticated equipment and skilled technicians to perform the tests, their use is limited to certain circumstances.
Materials needed in ELISA Testing
- Pipettes, washer system, ELISA plate reader: Readers, washers and pipette are available as manual or automated system. One of the main factors affecting equipment selection is the number and types of test samples being run.
- ELISA Readers: Readers need to have appropriate filter (650 nm and 450 nm).
- Pipette: Are available as fixed as well as adjustable volume as well as single channel and multi-channel.
- Washing system: It can be manual system that washes one row or column at a time or semi automated systems that wash one strip or plate at a time or fully automated systems that can process multiple plates
- Reagents needed for the testing– Concluded in the kit (coated plates, sample diluents, controls, wash concentrate, conjugate, substrate, stop solution)
- Coated plates: The 96-well plates are made of polystyrene and are coated with either inactivated antigen or antibody. The function of the plate has to hold the immobilized either antigen or antibody. Antigen or antibody present in the sample will bind to the plate. This coating acts as the binding site for the antibodies or antigens in the sample.
- Controls: Negative and positive controls are provided in each kit. The controls help to normalize or standardize each plate. Controls are also used to validate the assay and to calculate sample results. Controls might be pre-diluted and ready to use. (Please refer to kit for specific instructions).
- Conjugates: ELISA conjugates are enzyme labeled antibodies that react specifically to plate bound sample analytes. Unbound conjugates are washed away after incubation and before the addition of substrate.
- Wash Concentrate: It acts as a buffered solution containing detergent to wash unbound material from the plate. (Not all test kits have wash concentrate; in that case distilled water can be used for washing; please refer to kit insert for specific instructions)
- Stop solution: It stops the enzyme substrate reaction and color development.
Principle of ELISA Test
- An enzyme: horse radish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase which is labelled or linked, to a specific antibody.
- A specific substrate:
- o-Phenylenediamine dihydrochloride for peroxidase
- P Nitrophenyl Phosphate (PNPP)- for Alkaline Phosphatase
- Direct ELISA
- Indirect ELISA
- Non Competitive ELISA
- Competitive ELISA
Thank you for your help.
these days rapid tests are based on principal of elisa tests please explain how
That’s nice of you
what is conjugate Ab and conjugate Ag
hi sir.
can you differentiate Microbial Inhibition Tests from Immunoassays like ELISA?
as well as the edge of each including HPLC? what test would you recommend if i was to determine drug residue in pork through its kidney as the sample?
Dear Sir I want to use the figure given above for a book chapter can you please provide the procedure to get the permission of reproducing the figure of ALISA Test