A customizable multiplex protein microarray for antibody testing and its application for tick-borne and other...

Area of Science:

• Medical Diagnostics
• Infectious Diseases
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Tick-borne infections are prevalent vector-borne diseases in the USA, with Lyme disease being the most common.
• Current diagnostic tests for tick-borne diseases have limitations, including inaccurate results and inability to detect multiple pathogens simultaneously, leading to misdiagnosis.
• Overlapping symptoms of tick-borne infections complicate accurate diagnosis and disease surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a multiplex protein microarray for simultaneous detection of antibodies against multiple tick-borne pathogens.
• To assess the analytical and clinical performance of the microarray for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) responses.
• To provide a more accurate and efficient diagnostic tool for tick-borne infections.

Main Methods:

• A multiplex protein microarray accommodating up to 400 antigens was designed and manufactured.
• The array included antigens from various microbes, including Borrelia burgdorferi.
• Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) responses were analyzed for analytical and clinical performance against gold standards.

Main Results:

• The multiplex microarray demonstrated improved IgM and IgG sensitivities and specificities for individual microbes compared to gold standards.
• The platform enabled simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens in a single run, unlike conventional methods requiring multiple runs.
• High sensitivity and specificity were achieved in evaluating exposure to diverse infectious agents, particularly tick-borne pathogens.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiplex protein microarray is a flexible platform for rapid, sensitive, and specific evaluation of exposure to multiple infectious agents.
• This technology has the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis and management of tick-borne diseases.
• The platform offers a significant advancement over existing diagnostic methods for tick-borne infections.