Preliminary Development and Assessment of a MultiplexAssay for Human Papillomavirus Antibody Detection Using Commercial L1 Proteins

Researchers developed a preliminary Luminex-based multiplex assay to detect IgG and IgA antibodies against seven human papillomavirus types: HPV-6, 11, 16, 18, 35, 45 and 58. The assay used commercially available L1 proteins and was evaluated using a blinded proficiency panel.

The assay demonstrated strong performance for IgG detection, including 100% sensitivity and specificity for HPV-6, 11, 16, 18 and 58 at the evaluated thresholds. It also distinguished between high, intermediate, low and negative antibody-response groups. IgA results were more variable but showed a positive correlation with IgG.

The findings suggest this multiplex assay could provide a scalable, high-throughput method for evaluating type-specific HPV antibody responses and supporting population-level vaccine-immunity research. However, the authors emphasize that further standardization and validation are required before broader application.

Source: Aslanabadi et al., Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis, published September 1, 2026.