Semantic resources project/Antibodies/Revised Methods/Immunoassay

Description
Immunoassay

Outline
An immunoassay is a biochemical test that measures the concentration of a substance in a biological liquid, typically serum or urine, using the reaction of an antibody or antibodies to its antigen. (Wikipedia)

Basically, a test that measures either an antigen-bearing substance or an antibody-bearing substance by using the binding of one to the other (either applying antibody to unknown antigen, or antigen to unknown antibody). Usually one or the other in the pair is labeled in some way; alternately, in an indirect immunoassay, a follow-up immunoassay is applied to the results of the first assay.

Ontology Terms
OBI: "assay"
 * http://purl.obofoundry.org/obo/OBI_0000070
 * OBI Browser

OBI: "analyte assay"
 * http://purl.obofoundry.org/obo/OBI_0000443
 * OBI Browser

MeSH: "Immunoassay"
 * D007118
 * http://bioportal.bioontology.org/visualize/40401/D007118
 * A technique using antibodies for identifying or quantifying a substance. Usually the substance being studied serves as antigen both in antibody production and in measurement of antibody by the test substance.

HL7v3.0: "Immunoassay"
 * 0101
 * http://bioportal.bioontology.org/visualize/40392/0101

SNOMED: "Immunoassay method"
 * 414464004
 * http://bioportal.bioontology.org/visualize/40403/414464004

Usage
Ganz et al. "Immunoassay for human serum hepcidin". Blood 112:10,4292-4297. (November 2008) "'An immunoassay reported to detect human prohepcidin does not reflect the expected physiologic or pathologic changes in mature hepcidin concentrations seen with other hepcidin assays. We now describe the performance of a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (C-ELISA) for human hepcidin. This assay accurately and reproducibly detects physiologic and pathologic changes in serum or urine hepcidin levels and can be readily performed in a high-throughput format.'"

Definition
My initial attempt: An assay where a protein (the analyte) is detected by means of an antibody's reaction with an antigen which forms part of the protein.

Adapted from MeSH: An assay using antibodies to identify or quantify an antigen.