Human Growth Hormone ELISA - HGH

Enzyme Immunoassay for the Quantitative Determination of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in Human Serum

FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE IN DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES

SUMMARY
Growth hormone (GH or HGH), also known as somatotropin or somatropin, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. It is a type of mitogen which is specific only to certain kinds of cells. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by somatotropic cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland.

GH is a stress hormone that raises the concentration of glucose and free fatty acids. It also stimulates production of IGF-1. GH is used as a prescription drug in medicine to treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. In the United States, it is only available legally from pharmacies, by prescription from a doctor. In recent years in the United States, some doctors have started to prescribe growth hormone in GH-deficient older patients (but not on healthy people) to increase vitality. While legal, the efficacy and safety of this use for HGH has not been tested in a clinical trial. At this time, HGH is still considered a very complex hormone, and many of its functions are still unknown.

In its role as an anabolic agent, HGH has been abused by competitors in sports at least since 1982, and it has been banned by the IOC and NCAA. Traditional urine analysis could not detect doping with HGH, so the ban was unenforceable until the early 2000s when blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were starting to be developed. Blood tests conducted by WADA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece targeted primarily HGH. This use for the drug is not approved by the FDA.

GH has been studied for use in raising livestock more efficiently in industrial agriculture and several efforts have been made to obtain governmental approval to use GH in livestock production. These uses have been controversial. In the United States, the only FDA-approved use of GH for livestock is the use of a cow-specific form of GH called bovine somatotropin for increasing milk production in dairy cows. Retailers are permitted to label containers of milk as produced with or without bovine somatotropin.

PRINCIPLE OF THE TEST
The United Immunoassay HGH ELISA is based on the principle of a solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The assay system utilizes a sheep anti-HGH antibody for solid phase (microtiter wells) immobilization and a mouse monoclonal anti-HGH antibody in the antibody-enzyme (horseradish peroxidase) conjugate solution. The test sample is allowed to react simultaneously with the antibodies, resulting in HGH molecules being sandwiched between the solid phase and enzyme-linked antibodies. After a 45 minute incubation at room temperature, the wells are washed with water to remove unbound labeled antibodies. A solution of TMB is added and incubated for 20 minutes, resulting in the development of a blue color. The color development is stopped with the addition of 1N HCl, and the color is changed to yellow and measured spectrophotometrically at 450 nm. The concentration of HGH is directly proportional to the color intensity of the test sample.

EXAMPLE OF STANDARD CURVE
Results of a typical standard run with optical density readings at 450 nm shown in the Y axis against Human Growth Hormone concentrations shown in the X axis. This standard curve is for the purpose of illustration only, and should not be used to calculate unknowns. Each user should obtain his or her own data and standard curve.