A rapid test where an antibody or antigen is linked to an enzyme as a means of detecting a match between the antibody and antigen.
This versatile test is widely used in the medical laboratory. It allows your health care provider to:
test your blood with an antigen (e.g., virus or bacteria) to see if your immune system recognizes it as something it has seen before, or test your blood with an antibody to see if a particular substance like a hormone (an antigen) is present in your system.
Alternative Names
Enzyme-linked immunoassay; EIA