Interferences Can Cause Spurious Screening Results

mmunoassays depend on competitive binding. The analyte to be measured and a known quantity of labeled analyte compete to bind with an antibody produced to the analyte or its hapten (a conjugated form of the analyte). The extent to which the analyte binds with the antibody is measured in a number of different ways, such as spectrophotometrically, visually by aid of some colored reaction, or by latex agglutination. Because immunoassays are based on detection of this competitive step, any substance or situation that either alters the binding of the target analyte to the detection antibody or interferes with the detection mechanism is referred to as an interference and has the potential to change the result