Human-Species ELISA Kits
Interpreting Human Protein Biomarker Categories
The kits listed above fall into four functionally distinct biomarker categories. Understanding which category a target belongs to helps determine the expected assay format, sample handling considerations, and the type of research question the kit is designed to answer.
Immunology & Antibody Panels
Hepatitis B core and surface antibody kits (IgM and total antibody formats) detect host immune response rather than the pathogen itself. These assays distinguish recent exposure (IgM-class response) from past or resolved exposure (total antibody), which is relevant when designing seroprevalence or immune-status studies.
Viral Antigen Detection
The HIV-1 p24 kit measures a structural viral protein directly, rather than an antibody response. Antigen-detection formats are useful earlier in an infection timeline, before antibody titers have developed, and are typically interpreted alongside antibody-based assays rather than in isolation.
Hormone & Metabolic Proteins
EPO (erythropoietin) is a circulating hormone involved in red blood cell production. Quantitative ELISA kits for hormone targets report concentration values against a standard curve, making them suited to dose-response, metabolic, or hematologic research designs rather than binary positive/negative screening.
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
Hexanoyl-lysine (HEL) is a marker of early-stage lipid peroxidation in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oxidative stress biomarkers are generally used as mechanistic indicators in metabolic or inflammation-adjacent research rather than as diagnostic markers of a single disease state.
When selecting between kits in these categories, match the biomarker type to your study question: antibody panels answer exposure or immune-status questions, antigen kits answer presence/load questions, hormone kits answer concentration questions, and oxidative stress kits answer mechanistic or process-level questions.