Validation and comparison of luminex multiplex cytokine analysis kits with ELISA: determinations of a panel of nine cytokines in clinical sample culture supernatants

Analyses of the expression pattern of multiple cytokines are frequently required for characterization of the status of the immune system as it pertains to Th type bias and intrinsic levels of inflammation.

Classically, analysis of cytokine expression patterns has been performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for each separate analyte.

A new technology, Luminex MAP, facilitates the simultaneous evaluation of multiple immune mediators with advantages of higher throughput, smaller sample volume, and lower cost. The validation of this technology has been limited to small sample sets, limited use of clinical study specimens, and use of non-commercial reagents.