A short history, principles, and types of ELISA, and our laboratory experience with peptide/protein analyses using ELISA

Peptides. 2015 Oct:72:4-15. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.04.012. Epub 2015 Apr 20.

Abstract

Playing a critical role in the metabolic homeostasis of living systems, the circulating concentrations of peptides/proteins are influenced by a variety of patho-physiological events. These peptide/protein concentrations in biological fluids are measured using various methods, the most common of which is enzymatic immunoassay EIA/ELISA and which guide the clinicians in diagnosing and monitoring diseases that inflict biological systems. All the techniques where enzymes are employed to show antigen-antibody reactions are generally referred to as enzymatic immunoassay EIA/ELISA method. Since the basic principles of EIA and ELISA are the same. The main objective of this review is to present an overview of the historical journey that had led to the invention of EIA/ELISA, an indispensible method for medical and research laboratories, types of ELISA developed after its invention [direct (the first ELISA method invented), indirect, sandwich and competitive methods], problems encountered during peptide/protein analyses (pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical), rules to be followed to prevent these problems, and our laboratory experience of more than 15 years.

Keywords: Analytical error; ELISA; General protocol; Peptide analysis.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / history
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / instrumentation*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods*
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • Humans
  • Peptides / analysis*

Substances

  • Peptides