Description
Principle of the assay: This assay employs the competitive enzyme immunoassay technique. The microtiter plate provided in this kit has been pre-coated with an antibody specific to B2M. Standards or samples are then added to the appropriate microtiter plate wells with a Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated antigen preparation specific for B2M and incubated. The competitive inhibition reaction is launched between with HRP labeled B2M and unlabeled B2M with the antibody. A substrate solution is added to the wells and the color develops in opposite to the amount of B2M in the sample. The color development is stopped and the intensity of the color is measured.
Background: beta2 microglobulin lies lateral to the alpha3 chain on the cell surface. Unlike alpha3, beta2 has no transmembrane region. Directly above beta2 lies the alpha1 chain, which itself is lateral to the alpha2. beta2 microglobulin associates not only with the alpha chain of MHC class I molecules, but also with class I-like molecules such as CD1 and Qa. An additional function is association with the HFE protein, together regulating the expression of hepcidin in the liver which targets the iron transporter ferroportin on the cytoplasmic membrane of enterocytes and macrophages for degradation resulting in decreased iron uptake from food and iron release from recycled red blood cells respectively. Loss of this function causes iron excess and hemochromatosis