Improvement in sensitivity of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for tumour necrosis factor

Abstract

Various protocols were used in the development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to improve the sensitivity and range of detection of human tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-). ELISA can provide a specific, sensitive and rapid method for detection of TNF- in patient's sera, and it is important that the assay used should be sufficiently sensitive to detect low levels of TNF-. The double sandwich ELISA proved to be the most sensitive, detecting <0080 ng/mL TNF. Of eight different protocols, one assay using a purified monoclonal antibody to human TNF- and rabbit polyclonal anti-TNF- antibody had the greatest sensitivity and range of detection. The study illustrates methods for the development of sensitive immunoassays which may have applications in many assay systems.