Multiplex Immunoassay Profiling of Serum in Psychiatric Disorders

Multiplex immunoassays allow for the rapid profiling of biomarker proteins in biological fluids, using less sample and labour than in single immunoassays. This chapter details the methods to develop and manufacture a 5-plex immunoassay for the Luminex® platform. Although assay development is not included here, the same methods can be used to covalently couple antibodies to the Luminex beads and to label antibodies for the screening of sandwich pairs, if needed. An example will be given for the analysis of five hormones (glucagon-like peptide 1, growth hormone, insulin, leptin and thyroid-stimulating hormone) in serum samples from schizophrenia patients and controls.