Quantitative performance of antibody array technology in a prenatal screening setting.
BACKGROUND
Antibody microarrays (Ab-array) represent a new, innovative proteomics platform for high-throughput protein expression profiling in body fluids. Because they allow for multiplexed measurements in small sample volumes, Ab-arrays are an interesting alternative to conventional indirect sandwich immunoassay (ELISA or DELFIA) tests in clinical or population screening if sets of markers are to be analyzed simultaneously. However, to allow implementation of Ab-arrays in clinical or population screening programs, it is of vital importance to establish that this method is both sensitive and quantitative.


METHODS
This study developed and optimized a duplex Ab-array for pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and human chorion gonadotropin (fβ-hCG), two serum biomarkers currently analyzed by conventional biochemical techniques in prenatal screening. Serum samples from pregnant women, representing the dynamic range of both markers, were analyzed on Ab-arrays, and validated to the, in prenatal screening routinely applied, AutoDelfia system.


RESULTS
Two different array hybridization conditions were tested, i.e., direct and indirect labeling, of which the indirect method displayed a sensitive and quantitative performance and a low intra- and inter-assay variation.


CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, these findings indicate that Ab-array technology is a promising alternative for ELISA or DELFIA in population screening programs, allowing future quantitative analysis of multiple biomarkers simultaneously in small volumes of serum.
Laboratory for Health Protection Research, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Wendy
W
Rodenburg
Johan H
JH
Reimerink
Sandra
S
Imholz
Gert-Jan
GJ
Godeke
Jeroen L A
JL
Pennings
Peter C J I
PC
Schielen
Maria P H
MP
Koster
Annemieke
A
de Vries
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D057230:Limit of Detection; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000737:chemistry*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A