Comparison of MagPix Assays and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses

J Clin Microbiol. 2016 Dec 28;55(1):68-78. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01693-16. Print 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Viral hemorrhagic fevers, because of their high mortality rates, the lack of medical countermeasures, and their potential use as instruments of bioterrorism, pose a significant threat to the developed and the developing areas of the world. The key to preventing the spread of these diseases is early and accurate detection. For decades, the gold-standard immunoassay for hemorrhagic fever detection has been the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); however, newer technologies are emerging with increased sensitivities. One such technology is the Luminex MagPix platform using xMAP microspheres. Here, we compare the MagPix platform with a traditional ELISA for IgM and antigen detection of infections from Lassa and Ebola viruses (LASV and EBOV, respectively). For IgM detection in nonhuman primate samples, the MagPix platform was 5 and 25 times more sensitive in detecting LASV and EBOV, respectively, compared to that with ELISA. For antigen detection in buffer, the MagPix platform was 25 and 2.5 times more sensitive in detecting lower levels of LASV and EBOV, respectively. In both IgM and antigen detection assays, the MagPix platform demonstrated excellent reproducibility at the lower limit of detection (LLOD). These findings demonstrate that the MagPix platform is a viable diagnostic replacement for the ELISA for viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Keywords: ELISA; Ebola virus; Lassa virus; MagPix; immunoassays; viral hemorrhagic fever.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Antigens, Viral / blood*
  • Ebolavirus / immunology*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods*
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Lassa Fever / diagnosis*
  • Lassa virus / immunology*
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Primates
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin M

Grants and funding

The laboratory work was funded in part by the Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (GEIS) Operations at the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center and by the Department of Defense Medical Countermeasure Systems Critical Reagents Program. This research was performed while N.G.S. held a National Research Council (NRC) Research Associateship award at Diagnostic Systems Division, USAMRIID.