Description

INTENDED USE
The Calbiotech Free Testosterone ELISA Kit is intended for the measurement of Free Testosterone in serum/plasma.

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. Testosterone is a primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females although small amounts are secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal male sex hormone and the anabolic steroid. In both males and females, it plays key roles in health and well-being. Measurement of the free or unbound fraction of serum testosterone has been proposed as a mean of estimating the physiologically bioactive hormone. Free testosterone levels are elevated in women with hyperandrogenism associated with hirsutism in the presence or absence of polycystic ovarian disease. In addition, free testosterone measurements may be more useful than total testosterone in situations where SHBG is increased or decreased (e.g. hypothyroidism and obesity).

PRINCIPLE OF THE TEST
The CBI free Testosterone ELISA KIT is based on the principle of competitive binding. The microtiter wells are coated with an antibody directed towards a unique antigenic site on a Testosterone molecule. An aliquot of patient sample containing endogenous Free Testosterone is incubated in the coated well with enzyme conjugate, which is an anti-Free Testosterone antiserum conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. After incubation the unbound conjugate is washed off with distilled water. The amount of bound peroxidase is proportional to the concentration of Free Testosterone in the sample. Having added the substrate solution, the intensity of colour developed is proportional to the concentration of Free Testosterone in the patient sample.