How does the drug test reach a result, EXACTLY?
This is pretty sophisticated stuff however some people really would like to know. Competitive binding assays utilize two types of drug metabolites competing for one antibody. The two possible sources of drug metabolites are from the donor and the lab. The reaction is very complex and difficult to comprehend. Three reagents are added to the urine sample to complete the test. Reagent 1 contains IGG anti-sheep antibody which is specific for the drug metabolite being analyzed. Reagent 2 contains the enzyme G6PD (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) attached to the drug metabolite being analyzed and NAD+ (Nicotinamide Dinucleotide). Finally, the substrate G6P (Glucose-6-phosphate) is also added which is just an intermediate compound that is neither produced nor consumed, but required for the reaction to proceed. The reaction proceeds under two mechanisms dependent on the sample being positive or negative. The key result is whether the antibody reacts with the drug metabolite from the donor or
