Clinical immunology lab report (ELISA) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Clinical immunology (ELISA) - Lab Report Example iagnose for certain diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and prostate cancer among many others as well as to measure certain hormones such as the human chorionic gonadotrophins. These tests capitalize on the fact that that many viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic illnesses generate established antibody reactions. Therefore, the recognition of antibodies specific to infectious agents in patients’ samples aids in the identification of infections such as influenza, HIV and hepatitis (Estridge & Reynolds 2011). In some instances such as syphilis, it is impossible to separate actual disease-causing organisms. Therefore, immunological tests find immense relevance in the diagnosis of these infections. Contemporary immunoassays have advanced from the need to identify and measure multifaceted biological molecules in situations where physical and analytical chemical techniques are not feasible (Bonwick & Smith 2004). In the early stages of immunoassays, the workers were restricted to using simple techniques that quantified the precipitation that occurred as a less important event after the binding of a number of antibodies to several antigens. This technique was difficult and had numerous limitations that restricted its use. Advances on improving the method led to the development of enhanced ways of identifying antigen-antibody reactions. The first method was radioimmunoassay by Berson and Yalow, which enabled the identity of the putative molecules by measuring radioactivity (Gan & Patel 2013). However, the problems associated with the disposal of radioactive waste led to the need for safer alternatives. In addition, radioimmunoassay required sophisticated equipment to obtain measur ements. ELISA became the most suitable alternative for detecting and quantifying antigens and antibodies ELISA is among the most common immunological tests in modern use. It entails the addition of an antigen or antibody to a firm surface, which in most instances is usually a polystyrene