EliKine™ Mouse IL-4 ELISA Kit (Abbkine KTE7007): A Trusted Workhorse for Precise IL-4 Quantification in Murine Th2 Immunology

Interleukin-4 (IL-4)—a signature Th2 cytokine—stands as a linchpin in orchestrating humoral immunity, allergic responses, tissue repair, and immune tolerance. Its role in driving B cell class switching to IgE, promoting Th2 cell differentiation, and modulating macrophage polarization makes it indispensable for preclinical research into allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and parasitic infections—fields where murine models remain the gold standard for translational discovery. Yet, reliable mouse IL-4 quantification has long been a bottleneck: researchers grapple with tools that sacrifice specificity for cost, sensitivity for speed, or reproducibility for ease of use. Abbkine’s EliKine™ Mouse IL-4 ELISA Kit (catalog KTE7007, available at https://www.abbkine.com/product/elikine-mouse-il-4-elisa-kit-kte7007/) addresses these unmet needs with a purpose-built design tailored to preclinical workflows. Priced at $189 for 48 tests—far more cost-effective than comparable kits ($300–$350/48T)—and backed by 1,124 product views, this kit delivers formal-grade performance that balances rigor, flexibility, and accessibility. Below, we explore its technical strengths, alignment with industry trends, and practical value for immunology researchers.

Traditional mouse IL-4 detection methods have struggled to keep pace with the demands of modern preclinical research, creating a gap between scientific questions and actionable data. Flow cytometry, while powerful for single-cell IL-4 profiling, fails to quantify total cytokine levels in bulk samples (e.g., serum, tissue homogenates, or cell culture supernatants)—critical for assessing systemic or local Th2 responses. Western blotting offers only semi-quantitative results, suffers from poor sensitivity for low-abundance IL-4 (common in early-stage immune activation), and requires significant sample volume. Generic ELISA kits, meanwhile, often exhibit cross-reactivity with closely related Th2 cytokines (e.g., IL-5, IL-13) or non-murine IL-4 orthologs, leading to false-positive readings that confound data interpretation. For researchers studying subtle Th2 phenotypes—such as allergen-induced airway inflammation or autoimmune disease progression—these limitations translate to wasted resources, delayed publications, and uncertain translational relevance.

The technical core of EliKine™ Mouse IL-4 ELISA Kit KTE7007 lies in its murine-specific dual-antibody design, engineered to eliminate cross-reactivity and enhance sensitivity. The kit employs a pre-coated monoclonal capture antibody targeting a unique epitope in the N-terminal domain of mouse IL-4, paired with a biotinylated polyclonal detection antibody that binds a distinct C-terminal region. This two-site sandwich architecture ensures only intact mouse IL-4 is detected, with no cross-reactivity with mouse IL-2, IL-5, IL-10, or human IL-4—validated via comparative testing with recombinant cytokines and clinical murine samples. Its sensitivity (detection limit: 16 pg/mL) aligns with physiological IL-4 levels (31.25–2000 pg/mL in stimulated T cell supernatants, 10–100 pg/mL in murine serum during allergic responses), enabling detection of early Th2 activation and subtle changes in cytokine production. Unlike kits with narrow dynamic ranges, KTE7007’s linear quantification span (16–2000 pg/mL) supports both low-abundance samples (e.g., naive mouse serum) and high-concentration supernatants (e.g., Th2-polarized cell cultures), eliminating the need for multiple dilutions or assay repeats.

Flexibility across sample types is a key differentiator for KTE7007, reflecting the diverse needs of murine immunology research. The kit is fully validated for use with mouse serum, plasma (EDTA/heparin-anticoagulated), cell culture supernatants (e.g., CD4+ T cells, mast cells, or splenocytes), and tissue homogenates (lung, spleen, or lymph node)—a versatility that eliminates the need for specialized assays for different sample matrices. For serum/plasma: Minimal processing is required—centrifuge at 3,000×g for 15 minutes at 4°C, store at -80°C, and thaw on ice before use, with no protein precipitation or solvent extraction needed. For tissue homogenates: Dilute 1:10 with the kit’s Sample Dilution Buffer to reduce matrix interference from cellular proteins, ensuring consistent antibody-antigen binding. For cell supernatants: Collect and freeze at -80°C within 2 hours of stimulation, with no requirement for protease inhibitors (though 1mM PMSF is recommended for long-term storage). This adaptability makes KTE7007 a one-stop solution for labs working across multiple murine models, from allergy and asthma to parasitic infection and autoimmune disease.

From an industry perspective, KTE7007 aligns with two defining trends in preclinical immunology: the rise of Th2-targeted drug development and the demand for reproducible, high-throughput assays. Allergic diseases and asthma affect over 1 billion people globally, driving increased investment in therapies targeting Th2 cytokines like IL-4 (e.g., anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibodies). Murine models remain the primary tool for evaluating these therapies, and reliable IL-4 quantification is a critical endpoint for assessing efficacy. KTE7007’s high throughput (48 tests per kit, compatible with 96-well plate readers) supports large-scale drug screening, enabling researchers to test dozens of compounds or experimental conditions in a single run. Additionally, the reproducibility crisis in life sciences has heightened focus on batch-to-batch consistency—KTE7007’s coefficient of variation (CV) < 8% for both intra-assay and inter-assay results meets the standards of major funding bodies and peer-reviewed journals, ensuring data reliability across experiments and labs.

Practical application scenarios highlight KTE7007’s real-world value, spanning basic research to preclinical drug development. In allergy and asthma research, it quantifies IL-4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from ovalbumin-induced murine models, enabling researchers to assess the efficacy of anti-allergic compounds in reducing Th2 inflammation. In autoimmune disease studies (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus), it measures IL-4 in serum to correlate cytokine levels with disease severity and treatment response. In parasitic infection research, it tracks IL-4 production in splenocytes from mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni, a key marker of protective humoral immunity. Notably, KTE7007’s cost-effectiveness ($3.94 per test) enables labs to run technical triplicates—essential for reducing experimental variability—without exceeding budget constraints, a critical advantage for academic labs and small biotechs.

Quality control and long-term performance are embedded in KTE7007’s design, addressing the needs of longitudinal preclinical studies. Each kit includes pre-calibrated mouse IL-4 standards (16–2000 pg/mL), negative controls, and optimized buffers, eliminating the need for external reagents. The pre-coated microplates are sealed with desiccant to prevent moisture-induced antibody denaturation, and all components maintain activity for 12 months when stored at -20°C. Abbkine’s rigorous quality assurance process—including testing of each batch against recombinant mouse IL-4 and clinical murine samples—ensures consistent performance across kit lots. For researchers conducting long-term studies (e.g., tracking IL-4 levels over 6 months in a murine asthma model), this batch-to-batch consistency minimizes inter-assay variability, enabling detection of subtle, biologically relevant changes in cytokine production.

In conclusion, EliKine™ Mouse IL-4 ELISA Kit KTE7007 fills a critical niche in preclinical immunology research, offering a balance of specificity, sensitivity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness that traditional tools lack. Its murine-specific design eliminates cross-reactivity, its broad sample compatibility supports diverse research workflows, and its alignment with Th2-targeted drug development trends makes it a valuable asset for translational research. Whether you’re studying allergic diseases, autoimmune disorders, or parasitic infections, KTE7007 delivers the reliable IL-4 quantification needed to advance scientific discovery and preclinical development. To integrate this kit into your workflow, visit its product page for detailed technical notes, application examples, and protocol resources.

Would you like me to create a customized protocol template tailored to your specific murine model (e.g., allergy, autoimmune disease, parasitic infection) or sample type (e.g., BALF, splenocyte supernatants, serum) to further optimize IL-4 quantification with KTE7007?