CYTOKINE IMMUNOASSAYS - RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STANDARDIZATION, CALIBRATION AND VALIDATION

Accurate and sensitive methods for measurement and detection of cytoki nes are important for the understanding of cytokine biology and bioche mistry and the assessment of cytokine involvement in pathology and phy siological processes. Various types of assays are available for estima tion of cytokine levels in biological fluids. Often, immunoassays are used for this purpose but in many cases inappropriate assay choice, de sign and standardisation have led to confusing or erroneous data and c onclusions. Only if well characterized, validated and standardized met hods are used and results carefully analysed can useful unambiguous in formation be obtained. This article contributes significantly towards the standardisation, calibration and validation aspects of immunoassay s for cytokines. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.