Patent ID: 8664007

Claim:
A method for simultaneously detecting multiple antigen-specific antibodies of a particular immunoglobulin class in a sample, the immunoglobulin class selected from the group consisting of lgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, and IgD, the method comprising: (a) providing a solid phase support comprising a plurality of different antigens bound to the solid phase support at different discrete test areas, (b) incubating the support with the sample and a universal binding partner specific for the selected immunoglobulin class, wherein the universal binding partner recognizes all subclasses of the selected immunoglobulin class specifically bound to the solid phase support, the universal binding partner being coupled to a detectable label, whereby the antigen-specific antibodies bind specifically to their corresponding antigen to form aggregated and/or oligomerized immune complexes in a test area, and the universal binding partner selectively binds to said aggregated and/or oligomerized immune complexes but fails to bind, or binds only to a negligible extent, to antibodies that are unspecifically bound to the solid phase support, and (c) detecting the label on the universal binding partner bound specifically to the test areas, wherein the method reduces background noise caused by detecting signal from unspecifically bound antibodies.