Multiplex Microsphere Immunoassay Identifies Three Flavivirus Infections
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 19 Sep 2019 |

Image: The MagPlex Multiplexing Microspheres (Photo courtesy of Luminex).
The explosive spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) and associated complications in flavivirus-endemic regions underscore the need for sensitive and specific serodiagnostic tests to distinguish ZIKV, dengue virus (DENV) and other flavivirus infections.
ZIKV is a member of the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which includes several pathogenic mosquito-borne viruses in different serocomplexes. The four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) belong to the DENV serocomplex; West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) to the JEV serocomplex; yellow fever virus (YFV) as a single member; and ZIKV.
Tropical medicine specialists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, (Honolulu, HI, USA) and their colleagues developed a high-throughput and multiplex IgG microsphere immunoassay (MIA) using the NS1 proteins of DENV1-DENV4, ZIKV and West Nile virus (WNV) to test samples from reverse-transcription-polymerase-chain reaction-confirmed cases, including primary DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, WNV and ZIKV infections, secondary DENV infection, and ZIKV infection with previous DENV infection.
The NS1 gene (corresponding to amino acid residues 1–352) of ZIKV (HPF2013 strain) with a His-tag at the C-terminus was codon-optimized. Six purified NS1 proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and PBS (as negative antigen control) were coupled individually onto eight types of magnetic carboxylated microsphere beads containing different fluorophores (MagPlexTM-C) using two-step carbodiimide process at room temperature. Microsphere immunoassays (MIA) were performed and read by a Luminex 200 machine. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed for DENV1-, DENV2-, DENV3-, and ZIKV-NS1 IgG.
The scientists reported that a combination of four DENV NS1 IgG MIAs revealed a sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 97.2% to detect DENV infection. The ZIKV and WNV NS1 IgG MIAs had a sensitivity/specificity of 100%/87.9% and 86.1%/78.4%, respectively. A positive correlation was found between the readouts of ELISA and MIA for the different NS1 tested. Based on the ratio of relative median fluorescence intensity of ZIKV NS1 to DENV1 NS1, the IgG MIA can distinguish ZIKV infection with previous DENV infection and secondary DENV infection with a sensitivity of 88.9%–90.0% and specificity of 91.7%–100.0%.
The authors concluded that the multiplex and high-throughput assay could be applied to serodiagnosis and serosurveillance of DENV, ZIKV and WNV infections in endemic regions. The study was published on August 23, 2019, in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Related Links:
University of Hawaii at Manoa
ZIKV is a member of the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which includes several pathogenic mosquito-borne viruses in different serocomplexes. The four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) belong to the DENV serocomplex; West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) to the JEV serocomplex; yellow fever virus (YFV) as a single member; and ZIKV.
Tropical medicine specialists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, (Honolulu, HI, USA) and their colleagues developed a high-throughput and multiplex IgG microsphere immunoassay (MIA) using the NS1 proteins of DENV1-DENV4, ZIKV and West Nile virus (WNV) to test samples from reverse-transcription-polymerase-chain reaction-confirmed cases, including primary DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, WNV and ZIKV infections, secondary DENV infection, and ZIKV infection with previous DENV infection.
The NS1 gene (corresponding to amino acid residues 1–352) of ZIKV (HPF2013 strain) with a His-tag at the C-terminus was codon-optimized. Six purified NS1 proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and PBS (as negative antigen control) were coupled individually onto eight types of magnetic carboxylated microsphere beads containing different fluorophores (MagPlexTM-C) using two-step carbodiimide process at room temperature. Microsphere immunoassays (MIA) were performed and read by a Luminex 200 machine. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed for DENV1-, DENV2-, DENV3-, and ZIKV-NS1 IgG.
The scientists reported that a combination of four DENV NS1 IgG MIAs revealed a sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 97.2% to detect DENV infection. The ZIKV and WNV NS1 IgG MIAs had a sensitivity/specificity of 100%/87.9% and 86.1%/78.4%, respectively. A positive correlation was found between the readouts of ELISA and MIA for the different NS1 tested. Based on the ratio of relative median fluorescence intensity of ZIKV NS1 to DENV1 NS1, the IgG MIA can distinguish ZIKV infection with previous DENV infection and secondary DENV infection with a sensitivity of 88.9%–90.0% and specificity of 91.7%–100.0%.
The authors concluded that the multiplex and high-throughput assay could be applied to serodiagnosis and serosurveillance of DENV, ZIKV and WNV infections in endemic regions. The study was published on August 23, 2019, in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Related Links:
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Latest Immunology News
- FDA Approval Expands Use of PD-L1 Companion Diagnostic in Esophageal and GEJ Carcinomas
- Study Identifies Inflammatory Pathway Driving Immunotherapy Resistance in Bladder Cancer
- Microfluidic Chip Detects Cancer Recurrence from Immune Response Signals
- Cancer Mutation ‘Fingerprints’ to Improve Prediction of Immunotherapy Response
- Immune Signature Identified in Treatment-Resistant Myasthenia Gravis
- New Biomarker Predicts Chemotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- Blood Test Identifies Lung Cancer Patients Who Can Benefit from Immunotherapy Drug
- Whole-Genome Sequencing Approach Identifies Cancer Patients Benefitting From PARP-Inhibitor Treatment
- Ultrasensitive Liquid Biopsy Demonstrates Efficacy in Predicting Immunotherapy Response
- Blood Test Could Identify Colon Cancer Patients to Benefit from NSAIDs
- Blood Test Could Detect Adverse Immunotherapy Effects
- Routine Blood Test Can Predict Who Benefits Most from CAR T-Cell Therapy
- New Test Distinguishes Vaccine-Induced False Positives from Active HIV Infection
- Gene Signature Test Predicts Response to Key Breast Cancer Treatment
- Chip Captures Cancer Cells from Blood to Help Select Right Breast Cancer Treatment
- Blood-Based Liquid Biopsy Model Analyzes Immunotherapy Effectiveness
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
New CLIA Status Brings Mass Spectrometry Steroid Testing to Routine Labs
Steroid hormone measurement is a core application of clinical mass spectrometry, which is widely regarded as a diagnostic gold standard. Access to these high-specificity methods has often been constrained... Read more
Study Shows Dual Biomarkers Improve Accuracy of Alzheimer’s Detection
Alzheimer’s disease develops slowly, and biological changes can appear in blood many years before symptoms. While plasma assays for phosphorylated tau offer earlier detection, discerning whether these... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
New Molecular Test Boosts Accuracy of Bile Duct Cancer Diagnosis
Bile duct strictures can arise from cancer or benign disease, but their location within ducts connecting the liver, gallbladder, and intestines complicates evaluation. Standard biopsy and cytology may... Read moreAdaptive PCR Platform Improves Consistency in Small-Batch NGS Workflows
PCR amplification during next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation can introduce variability, often requiring manual quantification and risking over-cycling artifacts. The issue is especially... Read more
First IVDR‑Certified IGH Clonality Assay Supports Diagnosis of B-Cell Malignancies
Accurate identification of clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangements is central to evaluating suspected B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, where a single B-cell clone yields a defining... Read moreHematology
view channel
Rapid Cartridge-Based Test Aims to Expand Access to Hemoglobin Disorder Diagnosis
Sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia are hemoglobin disorders that often require referral to specialized laboratories for definitive diagnosis, delaying results for patients and clinicians.... Read more
New Guidelines Aim to Improve AL Amyloidosis Diagnosis
Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare, life-threatening bone marrow disorder in which abnormal amyloid proteins accumulate in organs. Approximately 3,260 people in the United States are diagnosed... Read moreImmunology
view channel
FDA Approval Expands Use of PD-L1 Companion Diagnostic in Esophageal and GEJ Carcinomas
Esophageal and gastroesophageal junction carcinomas (GEJ) have a poor prognosis, with approximately 16,250 deaths in the United States in 2025 and a five-year relative survival of 21.9%.... Read more
Study Identifies Inflammatory Pathway Driving Immunotherapy Resistance in Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer remains a prevalent malignancy with variable responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clinicians often observe elevated C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in affected patients, yet the... Read morePathology
view channel
AI-Based Pathology Model Guides Chemotherapy Decisions in Breast Cancer
Selecting adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer remains a difficult decision because only a subset benefits and many undergo toxicity without gain. Genomic assays can help but are costly,... Read more
Biopsy-Based Gene Test Predicts Recurrence Risk in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, killing more people in the United States than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), tumors that invade nearby blood... Read moreTechnology
view channel
New AI Tool Enables Rapid Treatment Selection in Pediatric Leukemia
Children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia face an aggressive disease that remains difficult to treat. Although remission rates have improved, many survivors experience long-term effects from intensive... Read more
Breakthrough Mass Spectrometry Design Could Enable Ultra-Low Abundance Detection
Mass spectrometry is central to identifying and quantifying molecules in complex biological samples, but conventional instruments typically analyze ions sequentially, which can limit detection of rare species.... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Lunit and CellCarta Collaborate to Expand AI Pathology in CDx Development
Lunit (Seoul, South Korea), a leading provider of AI for cancer diagnostics and precision oncology, and CellCarta (Montreal, QC, Canada), a global contract research organization (CRO) laboratory serving... Read more








