Immunoassays for diagnosis of coagulation disorders

Immunoassays play a pivotal role in the clinical laboratory. In the coagulation section of the laboratory, they are used as an aid for diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, thrombophilia screening, or detection of coagulation factor deficiencies, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and latex agglutination immunoassay technologies are currently most widely used, while Luminescent Oxygen Channeling Immunoassay (LOCI®) and other chemiluminescence-based immunoassays are emerging technologies for the coagulation laboratory. However, not all immunoassay technologies employed are compatible with the workflow requirements of the coagulation laboratory, and, not all technologies are suitable for detection or quantification of every marker. This review focuses on technical and performance aspects of those immunoassay technologies that are most widely used in the coagulation laboratory, and provides a description of markers that are typically tested by immunoassays.