Concept:
Different immunological techniques are used for detecting cytokines:
• ELISPOT: Detects and quantifies individual cells secreting a specific cytokine
• ELISA: Measures total cytokine concentration in a sample
Step 1: Understanding requirement.
The question asks for determining the frequency of interferon-gamma producing cells, i.e., number of cells producing the cytokine.
Step 2: Analyzing options.
• ELISPOT: Measures number of cytokine-secreting cells → Correct.
• ELISA: Measures concentration, not number of cells → Incorrect.
• Immunoprecipitation: Protein isolation technique → Incorrect.
• Confocal microscopy: Imaging technique → Incorrect.
Step 3: Selecting the correct answer.
Thus, ELISPOT is used to determine the frequency of interferon-gamma producing cells.