title: The application of protein microarray assays in psychoneuroimmunology.
abstract: Protein microarrays are miniaturized multiplex assays that exhibit many advantages over the commonly used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This article aims to introduce protein microarrays to readers of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity and demonstrate its utility and validity for use in psychoneuroimmunological research. As part of an ongoing investigation of psychological and behavioral influences on influenza vaccination responses, we optimized a novel protein microarray to quantify influenza-specific antibody levels in human sera. Reproducibility was assessed by calculating intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variance on serially diluted human IgG concentrations. A random selection of samples was analyzed by microarray and ELISA to establish validity of the assay. For IgG concentrations, intra-assay and inter-assay precision profiles demonstrated a mean coefficient of variance of 6.7% and 11.5% respectively. Significant correlations were observed between microarray and ELISA for all antigens, demonstrating the microarray is a valid alternative to ELISA. Protein microarrays are a highly robust, novel assay method that could be of significant benefit for researchers working in psychoneuroimmunology. They offer high throughput, fewer resources per analyte and can examine concurrent neuro-immune-endocrine mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ayling
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tighe
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dilnot
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Negm
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. Electronic address: lucy.fairclough@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fairclough
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vedhara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Assay; ELISA; Microarray; Multiplex; Psychoneuroimmunology; Sera