Statistical package for analysis of competition ELISA results.

A computation and analysis program has been assembled to facilitate the use of competition ELISA and similar assays for studies of antigen regulation and turnover. The program fits sigmoidal standard curves using a 4-parameter logistic function, determines amounts of antigen from the equation which defines the standard curve, and calculates specific activities by linear regression of the levels of antigen in varying amounts of total protein. An optional weighting function is provided to adjust for systematic non-uniform variance. Outlying points are identified during the linear regression, and the user may delete them or redefine the acceptable working range of the standard curve. The program provides a complete print-out of the data and optional plots of the fitted standard curve and the regression analysis of the samples, as well as statistics which are useful for quality control. It also provides the option of storing the data points from the standard curve on magnetic diskettes. The package is written in BASIC for a Wang Model 2200 computer equipped with a magnetic diskette drive, line printer, and flat-bed X-Y plotter, but it is readily adaptable to other systems and input/output devices.