Functional Antibody Assays

Functional antibody assays can broadly be divided into three categories: neutralisation, serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) and opsonophagocytic assays (OPA). These biological assays are generally more complex than antibody-binding counterparts. They invariably involve multiple biological components, many of which are difficult or impossible to standardise. The aim of this chapter is to provide working examples of these assays and highlight the key issues to be addressed to ensure they are able to provide reliable data.