Abstract
David Wild (ed)
Oxford, UK: Elsevier, 2013
1036 pp, Price £135
ISBN: 978-0-08097-037-0
My old edition of The immunoassay handbook is worn and tatty from constant usage, so when I was asked to review the latest (4th edition) I was excited to find out what the volume contained. With 77 chapters and just over 1000 pages it represents good value for money. The beauty of this book is that it covers the whole field of immunoassay from reagents to method development, interferences and applications. There is an impressive list of authors, including some of international repute; many having contributed to previous editions. The inspiring forward, present in earlier editions, by Rosalyn Yalow is also included; she, like me, was influenced by the work of Madame Curie. There are new chapters on lateral flow, microsphere multiplex assays, immunohistochemistry, practical ELISA development, assay interferences, pharmaceutical applications, qualitative immunoassays, antibody detection and lab-on-a-chip.
The book is divided into nine sections, with the first two-thirds devoted to methodology. As a general principle, all terminology is defined. The first part describes the basic technique of immunoassay, including performance criteria. This is followed by a section on immunoassay configuration that starts with the principles of competitive and immunometric assays then moves on to immunoassay components. There are chapters on antibodies, signal generation and detection systems, separation systems and conjugation methods, standardisation, calibration and curve fitting, all with clear explanations and lots of examples. I particularly liked the piece on antibody structure; it explains binding clearly and has appropriate diagrams. In the literature, most depictions of antibodies are schematics, so it is useful that here the reader is made fully aware what antibody structure comprises. Further chapters address immunoassay-related methodologies, including immunochemistry. The section on immunoassay development brings this whole process to life with a guide on ELISA development. The chapters on method evaluation are a must for anyone new to the field as they include information not normally present in most papers or other textbooks. This concludes with a piece on interferences in immunoassay, the Achilles’ heal of this technique. A detailed and informative discussion, with some interesting case presentations, demonstrates the tell tale signs that alert the user to the presence of interference and suggests how it may be overcome. The sections on the implementation of immunoassay addresses sample collection, quality assurance, point of care testing and choosing an automated immunoassay system. An exhaustive immunoassay trouble shooting guide is provided and, for example, identifies at least 30 parameters that may affect the sample, including food and drink. A further topic is immunoassay product technology with descriptions of the major platforms currently in use.
The final part of the volume provides over 300 pages that focus on clinical applications (largely human but with one chapter on veterinary uses). This section covers almost every conceivable application of immunoassay techniques, exploring methodological issues and how these affect the analysis of samples, subjects so often missed in clinical textbooks. There are contributions from some of the leading professionals in the field, e.g. Rhys John and Carole Spencer on thyroid disease, Penny Clark on diabetes, Kevin Spencer on pregnancy and Nic Christofides on free hormones.
The fourth edition does not disappoint. It is an essential reference manual for staff using immunoassays and to students in the field of laboratory medicine and other science disciplines.