304: Light-Scattering Assays
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TechNote 304 Light-Scattering Assays 9025 Technology Dr. • Fishers, IN 46038-2886 800.387.0672 • 317.570.7020 • Fax 317.570.7034 [email protected] • www.bangslabs.com B E A D S A B O V E T H E R E S T ™ Nephelometric Assay Measure Scattered Light Measure Transmitted Light Turbidimetric Assay Pass through Optical Counter Particle Counting Sample Assay CONTENTS I. BACKGROUND I. Background A. Principles of Light Scattering Immunoassays A. Principles of Light-Scattering Immunoassays Immunoassays based on the measurement of scattered or absorbed light 1. Turbidimetry are an extension of the basic principles underlying latex agglutination tests. 2. Nephelometry The change in the light scattered or blocked by Ab (or Ag) solutions is used 3. Particle Counting to measure the amount of Ag (or Ab) which causes the immunological Ab-Ag B. Kinetics of Immunoprecipitation precipitation reaction or agglutination reaction (if latex is used). II. Particle-Enhanced Immunoassay A. Assay Formats In a basic light-scattering immunoassay, polyvalent antigens react with B. Assay Instrumentation divalent antibodies to form large complexes, the antibody effectively forming 1. Spectrophotometer/Fast Centrifugal Analyzer a bridge between antigen molecules. A protein antigen, which can be 2. Nephelometer considered multivalent, with possibly multiple copies of the same epitope as 3. Optical Cell Counter well as different epitopes, can produce a large immune complex made up of C. Assay Parameters several molecules. 1. Particle Size 2. Optimum Wavelength 1. Turbidimetry 3. Kinetic vs. Endpoint Monitoring Turbidimetry is the measurement of light-scattering species in solution by 4. Antibody/Antigen Considerations means of a decrease in intensity of the incident beam after it has passed 5. Antigen/Antibody Loading through solution.1 For turbidimetric assays, the change in the amount of 6. Buffers and Ionic Species/Optimal pH light absorbed (inverse of amount transmitted) can be related to the amount 7. Influence of Polymers of agglutination which occurs. Hence, the amount of analyte (the species 8. Effect of Temperature causing agglutination) in the sample can be easily determined. D. Roles of Different Types of Microspheres 1. Size/Size Distribution 2. Nephelometry 2. Density Nephelometry is the technique for measuring the light-scattering species in 3. Refractive Index solution by means of the light intensity at an angle away from the incident 4. Colloidal Stability light passing through the sample.1 Nephelometric assays present an indirect 5. Streptavidin-Coated Microspheres method of measurement of the amount of analyte in a sample by measuring 6. Polystyrene/Magnetic Polystyrene the amount of light scattered or reflected at a given angle (typically 90˚) from E. Options for Ligand Attachment the origin. In the presence of the protein antigen, the antibody reacts with 1. Adsorption the antigen, and a precipitation reaction begins. The measurement is taken 2. Covalent Attachment early in this precipitation reaction time sequence. A quantitative value is 3. Streptavidin/Biotin Coupling obtained by comparison with a standard curve, which has been established III. New Developments previously. In order to increase the sensitivity of the detection, you can IV. References adsorb or covalently attach the protein to polymeric microspheres. In this way, a greater signal is produced with less reagent. (The main practical difference between these two approaches is the Bangs Laboratories, Inc. TechNote 304 Rev. #003, Active: 20/March/2013 << COPY >> Page 1 of 7 TECH NOTE 304 concentration of the solutions used in the assay. Nephelometry is best Figure 1 shows the general relationship between antigen concentration performed with dilute solutions, as at higher concentrations, destructive light and antibody precipitated.2 There are three distinct elements to the curve scattering might cause a loss of sensitivity. Conversely, turbidimetry requires in Figure 1. The first region, in which the antigen concentration increases, a higher density of particles to achieve a measurable and precise signal.) is one of antibody excess when the immune complexes are small, with some bridging. The second region, ‘equivalence,’ represents an optimum 3. Particle Counting ratio of antibody bridging in relation to antibody concentration, i.e., enough Particle counting is unique in that it requires a particle-enhanced format. polyvalent antigen molecules bind both ‘arms’ of the divalent antibodies in It is an immunoassay technique that recognizes microspheres that are solution; this is the point of maximum lattice, and thus precipitate, formation. not agglutinated (i.e., it determines the difference between the amount of In the third region, antigen excess, there is, in effect, a reduced supply of signal generated when antigen is present or absent). The reagent antigen or ‘bridging’ antibody molecules in relation to the amount of antigen now in antibody is coupled to microspheres and then forms immunocomplexes with solution. the sample antibody or antigen, respectively; the number of unagglutinated microspheres is thus inversely proportional to the analyte concentration. Region 1 + + (Antibody Excess) Table 1 shows a comparison of the detection limits for the measurement Region 2 + ( (Equivalence, ( Maximum of proteins in biological samples1 by turbidimetry, nephelometry, or particle n Aggregation) counting detection methods. Region 3 + + (Antigen Excess) Table 1: Comparison of Detection Limits Figure 2: Diagrammatical Representation of the Heidelberger-Kendall Curve Figure 2. Diagrammatical representation of the Heidelberger-Kendall Monitoring curve. System Analyte Sample [Conc.] Molar Turbidimetry: Human placental Serum 1.6mg/L 5.5x10-8 Figures 1 and 2 illustrate two important considerations when developing Nonenhanced Iactogen these types of assays. First, that there are two potential antigen concentrations that will generate the same apparent light-scattering -9 Turbidimetry: Retinol-binding Urine 25µg/L 12x10 signal; one when there is antibody excess and one when there is antigen Latex particle- protein enhanced excess. For this reason, the time at which measurements are made is an important factor. Second, assuming that the antigen used is divalent, Turbidimetry: Chloriogonadotropin Serum 50µg/L 1.6x10-10 the largest complex formed outside of the region of equivalence will be a Gold sol triplet (Antibody-Antigen-Antibody). Depending on the sophistication of the particle-enhanced instrumentation and the size of the antibodies and antigens used, this is normally not large enough to be measured. As is shown in Figure 1, the Nephelometry: Immunoglobulin M Cerebral 6.1mg/L 6.3x10-9 Nonenhanced Spinal Fluid region of equivalence represents a relatively high concentration of sample (antigen). For this reason, the direct turbidimetric immunoassay lacks Nephelometry: Myoglobin Serum 6.1µg/L 3.4x10-10 sensitivity for analytes for which small concentrations may hold clinical Latex particle- significance. The solution to these limitations is the particle-enhanced enhanced immunoassay, for the following reasons: Rate Immunoglobulin M Cerebral 11.1mg/L 1.1x10-9 1. Sensitivity is increased by increasing the relative light-scattering Nephelometry Spinal Fluid signal; 2. It provides the opportunity to use a different assay format. Particle C-reactive protein Serum 1.0µg/L 0.9x10-11 Specifically, the ability to test for haptens, whose single epitopic Counting: sites make them unsuitable for a direct turbidimetric assay; and 3. The problems that can result from antigen excess, as discussed B. Kinetics of Immunoprecipitation previously, can be avoided with assay optimization. II. PARTICLE-ENHANCED IMMUNOASSAY Antibody Antigen II. Particle-Enhanced Immunoassay analyzers and other discrete analyzers, in which either the reaction Excess Equivalence Excess A. Assay Formats cuvettes or the optics are rotated while the other remains stationary creating a regular scanning mode with respect to time, have also A. Assay formats proved to be very precise turbidimeters. Sample (Analyte Present) 2. Nephelometer- + ) d e r e t t a c S t h g i L ( Agglutination (Positive) strongly influenced by the angle from the incident beam at which d e t a t i p i c e r P y d o b i t n A detection occurs. sensitivity for larger scattering species (such as those found in par- Free No Free Antibody Coated Sample Antibody ticle-enhanced immunoassays). Antibody Microspheres (No Analyte Present) in Supernatant in Supernatant ment can be dif its use will require that the forward scattered light can be dif No Agglutination (Negative) Antigen Concentration ated from the incident beam. Secondly clinical applications that both scattered and transmitted light can be Figure 1. The HiedelbFigureerger -1:Ke Thenda lHeidelberger-Kendalll curve, showing the Curve general relationship Figure 3a:Figu Directre 3a. DAgglutinationirect Agglutination measured with the same analyzer between antigen concentration and antibody precipitated.2 ter is typically used for nephelometric monitoring. One advantage Bangs Laboratories, Inc. TechNote 304 Rev. #003, Active: 20/March/2013 << COPY >> Page 2 of 7 of nephelometric monitoring is that the sensitivity can be adjusted to specific assay requirements by setting the detector sensitivity ap- propriately Sample creased noise that will result. For these instruments, the intensity of + (Analyte Present) No Agglutination (Positive) the light source also plays a large role in the sensitivity of the assay Free Antibody