Stago has developed Asserachrom HPIA-IgG, a highly sensitive and specific ELISA for detecting anti-heparin-PF4 IgG antibodies, which has recently found application in the diagnosis of VITT.
Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) has been identified as a rare but life-threatening side effect of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 adenoviral vector vaccine, and multiple-site thromboses and arterial events are common.
In clinical studies, Stago's Asserachrom HPIA-IgG demonstrated the same high sensitivity of the poly-specific Asserachrom HPIA, with enhanced specificity. Its strip format makes it possible for a laboratory to run the assay to analyse small quantities, and the kit can be adapted to run on automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems.
The evidence is mounting that only an ELISA with the specificity to detect H-PF4 antibodies has the ability to identify or rule out VITT. While death rates remain high, earlier diagnosis would enable potential treatment pathways to be initiated as quickly as possible.
Look out for the September issue of Pathology in Practice for more information on VITT and the Stago ELISA