ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with aspects on new immunotechniques in general and with new combinations of immunotechniques. A requirement that is needed in most clinical chemical analysis is automation. In enzyme-immunoassay this is fulfilled where, for example, Enzyme-Multiplied Technique (EMIT) is run in fast analyzers. The nonequilibrium enzyme-immunoassay may also be automated, as radioimmunoassay has been in commercially available instrumentations. When applying conventional immunological assays involving the use of a labeled moiety, sensitivity is gained at the expense of time since equilibrium conditions are a prerequisite for such assays. Several new and promising approaches have been taken in the development of fast and sensitive enzyme-immunoassays. Throughout the chemical analysis, the main problem has been to amplify and detect the result of a chemical reaction. Traditionally, amplification was achieved by electronic means before the measurement step. A modification of the inhibition enzyme-immunoassay, called competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (CELIA), has been used for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin, testosterone, and rubella antibodies.
