Chemiluminescence: a new end-point for clinical assays.

A key decision for clinical laboratory managers in the 1990s will be the type of detection system to adopt for immunoassays and DNA hybridization assays. It seems certain that assays based on radioactivity will not be desirable because of concerns about safety, stability of reagents, and environmental issues. Chemiluminescence is a prominent contender as the detection system of choice for both immunoassays and DNA hybridization tests. This article examines the features of various chemiluminescent reactions available and discusses the current range of commercial chemiluminescent test kits and reagents.