PRINCIPLE AND APPLICATIONS OF ULTRASENSITIVE ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY (IMMUNE-COMPLEX TRANSFER ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY) FOR ANTIBODIES IN BODY-FLUIDS

The sensitivity and specificity of enzyme immunoassay for antibodies i n body fluids have been improved considerably by transferring the comp lex of labelled antigen and antibody to be detected from one solid pha se to another to eliminate interfering substance(s) in the samples (im mune complex transfer enzyme immunoassay). Usefulness of the new metho d has been tested for antibodies in serum as well as in urine. Anti-th yroglobulin IgG could be measured not only in serum of all patients wi th autoimmune thyroid diseases and almost all healthy subjects but als o in the urine of most of the patients. Anti-HTLV-1 IgG was unequivoca lly demonstrated in some of sera, which were indeterminate or negative by Western blotting, and diagnosis of HIV infection by detecting anti -HIV IgG in urine and saliva would be possible with higher reliability than by conventional methods. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.