multiplex, megaplex, index, and complex the present and future of laboratory diagnostics in rheumatology多路复用,megaplex、索引和复杂的实验室诊断在风湿病学的现在和未来.pdfVIP

Wener Arthritis Research Therapy 2011, 13:134 /content/13/6/134 E D I TO R I A L Multiplex, megaplex, index, and complex: the present and future of laboratory diagnostics in rheumatology Mark H Wener* See related research by Chandra et al., /content/13/3/R102 a recent issue of Arthritis Research Th erapy, Chandra Abstract and colleagues [1] explored the use of multiple multiplex In a recent issue of Arthritis Research Therapy, assays (a ‘megaplex’?) in the evaluation and categorization Chandra and colleagues described the use of multiple of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). multiplex immunoassays and complex computer Implementing high-quality multiplexed protein assays algorithms to investigate the possibility of improved has many technical analytical challenges, including laboratory diagnosis and novel classii cation of problems of uniformity, cross-reactivity, and optimiza- rheumatoid arthritis on the basis of biomarkers. tion [2,3]. Rheumatoid factors and other anti-reagent Such complex predictive tools in rheumatology can antibodies may interfere [4], as, indeed, they can interfere be guided by the experience of multiplex testing in with individual immunoassays. Ideally, each individual oncology, which has demonstrated the importance assay included in the multiplex assay should be evaluated of uniform specimen handling and prospectively fully. Other criteria for evaluating reports of multiplex collected specimen repositories. Although there are