The Comparison of Two ELISA Kit for the Detection of Microcystin Proficiency Testing Samples

There are more than 90 related compounds produced by cyanobacteria that are highly toxic hepatotoxins to humans and animals. Algal contamination of drinking water sources from Lake Erie caused potential health hazards in the tap water of Toledo, Ohio in 2014. Water from Lake Erie contained 60-80% Microcystin-LR, 10-25% Microcystin-RR, and 5-15% Microcystin-YR. Microcystin-LR is the most toxic, RR is half as toxic as the LR variant, and YR is between the two. Immunoassays used to detect these toxins should detect most of the toxic congeners. Beacon has released an improved BX test kit which demonstrates the broader cross reactivity (CR) profile to the various Microcystin congeners. The following cross reactivity are compared with our LR kit, BX (Cat# 20-0300) / LR kits (Cat# 20-0068); Microcystin LR (100% / 100%), RR (86% / 73%), LA (41% / 2%), LF (34% / 3%), LW (29% / 4%), LY (30% / 6%), YR (53% / 58%), and Nodularin (58% / 126%). Sixteen Microcystins proficiency testing (PT) samples from 2020 to 2021 were compared with our two kits with R-square comparison 0.9956 vs 0.9894. Improved kit demonstrates broader CR profile than the previous LR kit, which is confirmed by 16 PT samples.