Immunoassay
An immunoassay is a biochemical test that measures the presence or
concentration of a substance in solutions that frequently contain a complex
mixture of substances. Analytes in biological liquids such as serum or urine are
frequently assayed using immunoassay methods. Such assays are based on the
unique ability of an antibody to bind with high specificity to one or a very
limited group of molecules. A molecule that binds to an antibody is called an
antigen. Immunoassays can be carried out for either member of an
antigen/antibody pair. For antigen analytes, an antibody that specifically binds
to that antigen can frequently be prepared for use as an analytical reagent.
When the analyte is a specific antibody its cognate antigen can be used as the
analytical reagent. In either case the specificity of the assay depends on the
degree to which the analytical reagent is able to bind to its specific binding
partner to the exclusion of all other substances that might be present in the
sample to be analyzed. In addition to the need for specificity, a binding
partner must be selected that has a sufficiently high affinity for the analyte
to permit an accurate measurement. The affinity requirements depend on the
particular assay format that is used.
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