Measurement of Low Concentration Human Serum Cytokines Using a Millipore High-Sensitivity Milliplex Assay
Guest blog by Steve Suchyta, Millipore
Measurement of serum cytokines is one important indices of a healthy immune system response or a potential diagnostic in certain disease pathways.
Traditional measurement techniques include the use of multiple ELISAs (enzyme linked immunsorbent assays) or multiplex methods. The use of multiple ELISAs is problematic from a cost perspective and a sample volume requirement. Also, not all ELISAs offer an appropriate lower-end sensitivity that is needed to detect certain serum cytokines, and high intra- and inter-assay CVs make it difficult to compare samples analyzed on different 96-well plates.
Advances on multiplex technology have solved many of the limitations associated with other serum cytokine detection methods. In this report, we describe the method for the measurement of serum cytokines using a Millipore, high-sensitivity cytokine method that allows for the detection of cytokine concentrations as low as 0.13 pg/mL. When combined with other Millipore technologies, such as the DirectDetect, it is possible to screen and identify serum samples with high lipid content, which is a potential confounder of any detection method.
Milliplex kits offer a unique advantage over other methods because of much lower CVs and better repeatability. From a research cost perspective, the use of multiplex techniques reduces direct study costs, the amount of time a technician must devote to an experiment, and the subject sample volume required.
The complete experimental procedure is available at the Journal of Visualized Exeriments (JOVE):
http://www.jove.com/video/5088/measurement-low-concentration-human-serum-cytokines-using-millipore