INTENDED USE

Pre-titrated Reagent Kit for human TNF-alpha contains calibrated TNF-alpha standards and pre-titrated capture and detection antibodies for quantitative measurement of human TNF-alpha in biological samples by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). An assay protocol is provided with the kit to use the reagents in 96-well ELISA format. It is recommended to dilute all reagents according to this manual. The lyophilized standards have been calibrated against WHO reference material to ensure accuracy and consistence of test results. The reagents can also be used with 384-well ELISA plate and optimized for use in other type of immunoassays.

Background

Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a multifunctional pro-inflammatory cytokine, mainly secreted by activated macrophages. It is implicated in a variety of biological procedures including systemic inflammation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, lipid metabolism, and coagulation. The pleiotropic attribute of TNF-α regulation is associated with its ability to trigger multiple signalling pathways through its receptors, TNFR1 (p55) and TNFR2 (p75). TNF-α not only contributes to the immune response to bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic invasions, but also functions in tissue remodeling, autoimmune-diseases and the necrosis of specific tumors. TNF-α hyper-expression in response to some bacterial components such as LPS can cause life threatening septic shock.