Patent ID: 7067258

Claim:
A method for detecting antibodies to neutralizing epitopes on a plurality of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in a sample from a subject comprising: (a) providing a plurality of microsphere sets, wherein each of the plurality of microsphere sets comprises: a plurality of microsphere complexes, each complex comprising a microsphere coupled to a HPV virus-like particle (VLP) and a type-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the VLP; wherein the mAb is detectably tagged with a fluorescent reporter molecule; and wherein the HPV VLP is of a different HPV type relative to the HPV type of the VLP of a different microsphere set; and wherein microspheres of one microsphere set differ from microspheres of another microsphere set in a fluorescence emission property that distinguishes the microspheres of one set from those of another set; (b) contacting the plurality of microsphere sets with the sample so that antibodies within the sample can bind to the VLPs; and (c) for each microsphere set, determining either (i) the amount of detectably tagged monoclonal antibodies that bind to the VLP; or (ii) the amount of detectably tagged monoclonal antibodies that do not bind to the VLP; (d) comparing the amount obtained in (c) to a control, wherein a reduction in the amount of binding of the detectably tagged monoclonal antibodies to the HPV VLPs indicates that antibodies to HPV neutralizing epitopes are present in the sample of the subject which are specific to that HPV type.