ELISPOT techniques

Abstract

The enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay is a widely used method for enumerating antigen-specific cytokine-producing or antibody-secreting immune cells. It is one of the most effective immunological and diagnostic approaches to detect and quantify low-frequency cytokine- or antibody-producing cells in human and animal tissues, such as peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and spleen. Detection and quantification of specific cytokine-producing cells by the ELISPOT assay is based on the formation of visible spots at the site of cytokine release by the cells under investigation (e.g., T cells) using pairs of different capture and detection antibodies under optimized conditions. Here we focus mainly on practical, optimized protocols for cytokine ELISPOT assays for detection of mouse and human cytokine-producing immune cells (e.g., peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMC), including suggestions for trouble-shooting and optimizing steps for problematic tissue samples.