Diagnosis is an important part of the medical sciences. This is because it helps medical practitioners and even patients understand the complications at hand and how to go about resolving them. We can all agree that resolving a problem that is not known is almost impossible.
You should even know that advancement in medical sciences is closely linked to advancements in diagnosis. This is why the remarkable efforts of people like Peter Perlman and Eva Engvall should not be taken lightly.
These two people made their marks in the medical sciences by coming up with the ELISA test strategy. This has gone a very long way in helping mankind run some kinds of diagnosis easily and to get accurate results.
Understanding the history of ELISA tests and what was obtainable before they came to be will help you better understand the works of these people. Having established this, you should know that progress has been made with the ELISA test strategy.
There are now easy-to-use test kits for instance. However, you could run into some challenges using them and this article is meant to help you out. This is because we will share some troubleshooting tips here and advise that you keep reading. But first, you need to understand what this test is all about.
What ELISA Test Is
This is a quick and easy-to-use test strategy to detect if viruses and hormones are present in the body. To do this, immune system components are engaged to reveal the true state of the body. Some of the components include chemicals as well as certain antibodies.
Other than this, this test puts to work a special kind of protein to get the actual state of the body. The protein in question works by catalyzing biochemical reactions.
By and large, the immune system’s reaction is what determines the true state of the body as this is the intent of the test. If immunologic molecules are formed as a result of the reaction, then viruses and hormones must have been detected which means the result is positive. The result is negative if this does not happen.
You should know that this test is instrumental in finding out people’s HIV status and other states of a person’s health. And for the record, ELISA is an acronym that simply means Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. For more on this subject, you can read this.
Some Troubleshooting Guide for Elisa Test Kits
Manufacturers of these test kits have stepped up their game in several ways. This is why these kits are more dependable and easier to use than ever before. But even at that, you could still encounter some issues. Below are some troubleshooting guides for some of the possible challenges with using these kits:
No-Signal Problem
This problem should not arise, all things being equal. However, there are some likely causes and solutions should they occur.
From experience, we have gathered that the problem could be as a result of lack of substrate solution, storage conditions that are not appropriate, and when it lacks detection antibodies or when the wrong one was used.
The substrate solution will have to be added and the continued use of the kit should be ensured if lack of substrate is the problem. The kit has to be properly stored and used before its expiration date if incorrect storage is the problem. Also, the right detection antibody has to be added and the kit’s continuous use to resolve the problem of incorrect or no use of detection antibody.
Detection Value that Is Poor
The right value has to be detected to make the most of the kit. If this does not happen, there are 2 possible causes and solutions.
The first has to do with ineffective samples. This can be resolved by making sure the samples are properly stored. This is because storing the samples in an inappropriate environment will adversely affect its workings. It is also important that this is detected on time.
The second has to do with the kit’s samples having a very low antigen concentration. To solve this problem, you are to simply increase the antigen concentration to enrich the samples.
High Background Problem
Frankly, there are several reasons why this problem can surface. Some of the reasons and their solutions are discussed right below.
This could be caused by insufficient washes and there are 2 ways to address the problem. The soaking time and washing cycles between washes should be increased. This should go a long way in solving the problem.
If it does not solve the problem, multichannel pipettes should be used. However, this should happen without the plate’s reagents being touched.
Conclusion
Manufacturers of ELISA test kits have been improving their products. However, there are bound to be some issues with these kits. We have shared 3 of them here. However, you should know that there are other problems as well. You can see https://shop.surmodics.com/elisa-troubleshooting-guide for more on this subject.
We strongly suggest that you make informed decisions by putting the troubleshooting guides discussed here to good use when the need arises. Other than this, you should do all reasonably possible to get the right kit when they are needed. Proper storage of these medical kits is also important.
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