Integration of lyoplate based flow cytometry and computational analysis for standardized immunological biomarker discovery

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 3;8(7):e65485. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065485. Print 2013.

Abstract

Discovery of novel immune biomarkers for monitoring of disease prognosis and response to therapy in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is an important unmet clinical need. Here, we establish a novel framework for immunological biomarker discovery, comparing a conventional (liquid) flow cytometry platform (CFP) and a unique lyoplate-based flow cytometry platform (LFP) in combination with advanced computational data analysis. We demonstrate that LFP had higher sensitivity compared to CFP, with increased detection of cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-10) and activation markers (Foxp3 and CD25). Fluorescent intensity of cells stained with lyophilized antibodies was increased compared to cells stained with liquid antibodies. LFP, using a plate loader, allowed medium-throughput processing of samples with comparable intra- and inter-assay variability between platforms. Automated computational analysis identified novel immunophenotypes that were not detected with manual analysis. Our results establish a new flow cytometry platform for standardized and rapid immunological biomarker discovery with wide application to immune-mediated diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies
  • Biomarkers*
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry / methods*
  • Flow Cytometry / standards
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping / methods*
  • Immunophenotyping / standards
  • Inflammation / immunology*
  • Inflammation / metabolism*
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Biomarkers
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interferon-gamma