Enzyme-immunoassay: a powerful analytical tool

This paper reviews various aspects of enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). Firstly it summarizes the principles of tests in which use is made of labelled antigen or antibody. Since these constitute essential reagents in EIA they are discussed next. Many assay principles call for a bound/free separation. The various methods to accomplish this are therefore briefly discussed. Very important are the characteristics of EIA: specificity, sensitivity, precision and practicability, the latter including reagent stability, performance requirements, assay times and automation potential. Finally, fields of application are listed and some more recent developments are mentioned.