A new highly sensitive immunoassay for cytokines by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA).

Non-isotopic immunoassays for human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and human interleukin-6 (IL-6) were established by employing the dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) system based on the time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay technique with europium-labeled antibody. Compared to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and bioassays, the sensitivity and range of measurement were significantly increased by applying the DELFIA systems to TNF alpha and IL-6. TNF alpha was measurable from 100 fg/ml to 10 ng/ml with the TNF alpha-DELFIA and IL-6 was measurable from 100 fg/ml to 1 ng/ml with the IL-6-DELFIA.