Evaluation of assay designs for assays using microtitre plates: results of a study of in vitro bioassays and immunoassays for tumour necrosis factor (TNF).

Biological assays for tumour necrosis factor (TNF) are primarily based on its cytotoxic effect in tumour cell lines, and many of these bioassays are carried out using microtitre plates. Many immunoassays for TNF also routinely use microtitre plates. Data from an international collaborative study, carried out by twenty participants in nine countries, each of whom evaluated seven different ampouled preparations of human tumour necrosis factor alpha (hTNF-alpha), one ampouled preparation of human tumour necrosis beta (hTNF-beta) and one ampouled preparation of mouse tumour necrosis factor alpha (mTNF-alpha) provided a unique opportunity for a broadly based evaluation and comparison of assay designs and results. The results of this evaluation can be applied to a wide range of in vitro assays based on cell cytotoxicity or proliferation. The results of this evaluation indicated that although it is difficult to achieve control of all factors which contribute to the variability of assay responses, assays may be designed to provide measures of the variation due to some factors and to improve reliability of estimates of relative potency.