Thursday, October 23, 2014

How ELISA Kits Help Save Lives While Saving Money At The Same Time

By Jocelyn Davidson


Even medical experts find it difficult to keep pace with the rapid advances that are made in the various medical fields. The development of diagnostic tests and procedures receive a lot of attention. This is because the prognosis is just so much better if a disease can be diagnosed early. The treatment is less invasive and the chances of success are much higher. ELISA kits have proven to be an efficient, economic and quick way in which to diagnose a wide variety of conditions.

This test, also known as EIA is a laboratory procedure that is used to measure just how much antibodies and antigens there are in a specific sample of blood. The ability to measure the concentration of antigens and antibodies is a vital part of the diagnostic process. As an added bonus, this test is very easy to administer and many tests can be processed simultaneously.

The EIA is deemed revolutionary because it is vital to be able to detect the presence of antibodies and antigens. When the body detects a harmful substance within the system it produces antibodies. The very fact that there are antibodies present means that there are harmful substances. These dangerous elements are called antigens. By identifying the type of antibody produced by the body, doctors can also determine the exact nature of the antigen that triggered the production of the antibodies.

Patients experience no pain when the test is administered. A small quantity of blood is taken and then sent to a laboratory where a technician has already prepared a number of petri dishes, each containing a different antigen. The blood sample is then added to the dishes. If the antibodies in the blood samples react to any of the antigens they can be identified.

There are different variations of the EIA test but the more complex tests provide much more accurate results. Each type of test requires a different kit. The direct EIA test, for example is straightforward and results are available very quickly. In this case the antigens are coated with multiwall plates and the antibody can only react with the antigen once it has been conjugated with enzymes.

The indirect EIA test saves time and money because it is able to identify both secondary and primary antibodies during the same test cycle. Savings are achieved because the test often negates the need for other tests. In this case the antigens are coated with polystyrene and they can only be detected by the antibodies after two carefully manages stages.

Matched pairs of antibodies are used in the processing of the sandwich EIA test. In this case one of the antibodies is coated with polystyrene while the second one acts as a detecting agent. This test is performed when it is deemed necessary to determine the concentration of analytes in the sample. It is extremely accurate and can even detect diseases that have not manifested yet.

The EIA test is so popular with medical experts because it is versatile, quick and very accurate. The test is easy to administer and to process too. Patients benefit because their conditions can be diagnoses at an earlier stage. This makes treatment easier and it improves the prognosis.




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