As the concentration of analyte begins to exceed the amount of antibody present, the dose response curve will flatten (plateau) and with further increase may become negatively sloped; this describes which of the following?
A) Logarithmic relationship of antibody concentration and millivolt output from the detector
B) Increase in precision
C) Loss of sensitivity
D) Hook effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The description given matches the Hook effect, which occurs when the concentration of analyte is so high that it saturates the antibody sites, leading to a decrease in the expected signal and potentially a negatively sloped dose-response curve. This is because excess analyte can bind to both the capture and detection antibodies without forming the necessary sandwich complexes, leading to a decrease in signal as the concentration increases beyond a certain point.

As the Concentration of Analyte Begins to Exceed the Amount