Description
Introduction: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced by the kidney that promotes the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. EPO is a glycoprotein (a protein with a sugar attached to it). The kidney cells that make EPO are specialized and are sensitive to low oxygen levels in the blood. These cells release EPO when the oxygen level is low in the kidney. EPO then stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red cells and thereby increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. EPO is the prime regulator of red blood cell production. Its major functions are to promote the differentiation and development of red blood cells and to initiate the production of hemoglobin, the molecule within red cells that transports oxygen. EPO is produced not only in the kidney but also, to a lesser extent, in the liver. Different DNA sequences flanking the EPO gene act to control kidney versus liver production of EPO.
Principle of the Assay: The microtiter plate provided in this kit has been pre-coated with an antibody specific to EPO. Standards or samples are then added to the appropriate microtiter plate wells with a Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated monoclonal antibody preparation specific for EPO and incubated. Then substrate solution A and B are added to each well. Only those wells that contain EPO, HRP-conjugated antibody will exhibit a change in color. The enzyme-substrate reaction is terminated by the addition of a sulphuric acid solution and the color change is measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 450 nm +/- 2 nm. The concentration of EPO in the samples is then determined by comparing the O.D. of the samples to the standard curve