With the rise of chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer) and other infectious diseases, the demand for reliable testing and better diagnostics is increasing day by day.
To address these needs, advancements in diagnostic technology have led to a greater demand of CLIA kits for various clinical applications.
In fact, the demand is so high that the global market of CLIA is expected to rise from $13.2 billion in 2023 to $19.0 billion by 2028.
Given this context, one of the important questions clinicians, public health professionals, doctors, and even patients often ask is, “What other diseases or conditions can CLIA kits detect effectively?”
For this, we have brought a detailed guide to know what diseases can be detected using CLIA kits.
- Infectious Diseases
These are among the most common areas where CLIA kits are used. These kits can detect either the antigens of viruses (parts of the virus itself) or the antibodies produced by the immune system in response to infection.
Let’s see where CLIA is highly effective in detecting viral infections.
- HIV – CLIA tests can easily identify both HIV antigens and antibodies, and due to this, they help in early diagnosis and disease management.
- Hepatitis (A, B, C, and E) – These kits are commonly used to detect viral markers such as HBsAg and specific antibodies. These markers help identify active infections, determine past exposure, and confirm immunity following vaccination.
- COVID-19 – During the pandemic, CLIA kits played an important role in identifying SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which ultimately helped in the diagnosis and post-infection immunity tracking.
- Other Viral Infections – Diseases like Dengue, Zika, Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV), and Influenza can also be tested using CLIA kits.
- Hormonal Disorders
Since CLIA kits can easily measure even minor changes in hormone levels, they are commonly used in endocrinology testing.
- Thyroid Disorders – CLIA kits can measure TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibodies, which help in diagnosing of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and autoimmune thyroid diseases.
- Reproductive Hormones – They help in testing estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, prolactin, and testosterone levels to assess fertility, PCOS, and other reproductive issues.
- Diabetes & Metabolic Issues – Insulin levels can be detected for managing diabetes.
- Growth Disorders – Growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 can be measured in children and adults with suspected growth abnormalities.
- Cardiac Diseases
Since heart-related conditions require fast and accurate detection, CLIA kits are widely used in cardiology testing.
- Troponins (cTnI, cTnT) – Considered the gold standard biomarkers for diagnosing heart attacks (myocardial infarction).
- BNP and NT-proBNP – Used to identify and monitor heart failure.
- CK-MB – Helps detect and track muscle and cardiac damage.
- Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells. CLIA kits can easily detect autoantibodies, which makes diagnosis even more accurate.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – CLIA can detect rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-CCP antibodies, both of which are important in confirming the disease.
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) – These kits can detect ANA (antinuclear antibodies) and other disease-specific antibodies.
- Celiac Disease – Antibodies like anti-tTG and anti-gliadin are detected to confirm gluten sensitivity.
- Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases – Antibodies such as anti-TPO and anti-thyroglobulin help confirm Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease.
- Allergies
These kits measure IgE antibodies, which trigger allergic reactions. By this, it’s easy to identify if someone is allergic to common triggers such as pollen, dust, mites, animal dander, or certain foods.
Furthermore, it will help the doctors to make a personalized allergy treatment plans.
- Bone and Mineral Disorders
CLIA kits can also test for markers that reveal bone health and mineral balance.
- Vitamin D – The deficiency of Vitamin D can easily be detected through these kits.
- Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) – This hormone regulates calcium and phosphorus in the body, and abnormal levels may indicate parathyroid disease.
- Cancer and Tumor Markers
CLIA also helps doctors detect tumor markers that help in early diagnosis, monitoring treatment response, and tracking disease progression.
- AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein) – Commonly used as a marker for liver cancer.
- CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) – Helps in detecting and monitoring colorectal and pancreatic cancers.
- CA-125 – Used to evaluate ovarian cancer.
- CA 19-9 – Associated with pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers.
Conclusion
CLIA kits are among the most advanced and effective immunoassay tools available today for disease detection.
Because of their high sensitivity, specificity, and adaptability to automation and high throughput, these kits are especially valuable where early detection matters, where measurements need to be quantitative, and in settings dealing with large sample volumes.
With the global market projected to grow substantially in the coming years, more diseases are likely to see CLIA-based diagnostics with more improvements in speed and accessibility.
