title: Microbead-based technologies in diagnostic autoantibody detection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a rapid proliferation of new technologies to identify a spectrum of autoantibodies in medical conditions that range from organ-specific autoimmune diseases to systemic rheumatic diseases. Although many laboratories have adopted high-throughput diagnostic platforms such as enzyme linked immunoassays (ELISA), other technologies such as microbead-based assays are emerging as an alternative diagnostic platform.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand the performance and importance of bead based immunoassays in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Current literature was reviewed using the PubMed search engine combining keywords of immunoassay and Luminex, as well as a personal literature database. Included in the evaluation and commentary are bead-based assays such as addressable laser bead immunoassays and related magnetic bead assays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparison with other conventional technologies has indicated that laser microbead immunoassays are reliable, accurate, cost-effective, highly sensitive and have rapid turn around time for results. While there are advantages to this diagnostic platform, there are challenges that must be addressed before wider acceptance or long-term use of this technology platform in the routine clinical diagnostic laboratory.
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, 3330 Hospital Dr NW, T2N 4N1, Calgary, AB, Canada +01 403 220 3533 ; +01 403 283 5666 ; fritzler@ucalagary.ca.
authors.forename: Marvin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fritzler
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fritzler