serological test

serological test, any of several laboratory procedures carried out on a sample of blood serum (the clear liquid that separates from the blood when it is allowed to clot) for the purpose of detecting antibodies or antibody-like substances that appear specifically in association with certain diseases. There are different types of serological tests—for example, flocculation tests, neutralization tests, hemagglutinin-inhibition tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and chemiluminescence immunoassays.

Among flocculation tests, complement-fixation tests are the most common. These are based on the precipitation, or flocculation, that takes place when an antibody and specially prepared antigens (substances that provoke antibody production in the body) are mixed together. Neutralization tests depend on the capacity of an antibody to neutralize the infectious properties of the infectious organisms. Hemagglutinin-inhibition tests are based on the ability of viruses to cause the red blood cells of certain animal species to agglutinate (congeal, or clump together); this agglutination will be prevented by the antibody. ELISAs make use of fluorescent, light (chemiluminescent), or colorimetric signal detection; the signals are produced by enzymatic reactions that occur during the detection and quantification of a specific antigen or antibody in a solution. Chemiluminescence immunoassays are based on the detection of light signals emitted through chemical reactions between enzymes or chemical probes that bind to antibodies.

Serological testing is particularly helpful in the diagnosis of certain bacterial, parasitic, and viral diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, influenza, measles, polio, yellow fever, and infectious mononucleosis. It is also useful in the detection of autoantibodies (harmful antibodies that attack components of the body) that are involved in autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. As a practical mass-screening tool, serological testing has proved valuable in the detection of diseases such as syphilis, HIV/AIDS, and epidemic and pandemic infectious diseases (e.g., influenza and coronavirus disease). See also blood analysis.