In vitro diagnostics (IVD)

Labmaster LUCIA™ MxA test is an in vitro near-patient diagnostic test for the quantitative determination of Myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) from whole blood. The MxA test is used for detection of acute respiratory tract viral infections from symptomatic patients. The Labmaster LUCIA™ MxA Kit is to be used with semi-automated Labmaster LUCIA™ Analyzer by healthcare professionals. 

• Point-of-care test based on fingertip blood sample  
• Quick result in only 11 minutes 
• Easy handling, only a few steps needed 
  
• All-in-one test kit, reagents and washing buffer included 
• Applied together, the Labmaster LUCIA™ CRP and MxA tests provide an efficient method for differentiation of viral and bacterial acute respiratory tract infections. This helps to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. 

MxA is an informative general biomarker for the most common acute viral infections. MxA protein expression in peripheral blood has been shown to be a sensitive and specific marker for a viral infection (i-iv). MxA is also a highly abundant protein in the active state and constitutes up to one percent of all cell proteins, which is highly advantageous for a biomarker (v). MxA has a low basal concentration of less than 50 ng/ml, a fast induction time of 1–2 h after infection and a long half-life of 2–3 days (v; vi).  

MxA can be used as a marker for distinguishing viral from bacterial disease (vii-ix). This aids physicians in making the correct diagnosis and reduces unnecessary antibiotic treatment. 

(i) Nakabayashi M. et al. 2006. MxA-based recognition of viral illness in febrile children by a whole blood assay. Pediatr Res. 60; 770–774. 
(ii) Toivonen L. et al. 2015. Blood MxA protein as a marker for respiratory virus infections in young children. J Clin Virol. 62; 8–13. 
(iii) Forster J. et al. 1996. MxA protein in infants and children with respiratory tract infection. Acta Paediatr. 85; 163–167. 
(iv) Engelmann I. et al. 2015. Diagnosis of viral infections using myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA). Pediatrics 135:e985–993. 
(v) Horisberger M A. 1992. Interferon-induced human protein MxA is a GTPase which binds transiently to cellular proteins. Journal of virology. 66; 4705–4709.  
(vi) Ronni T. et al. 1993. Control of IFN-inducible MxA gene expression in human cells. J Immunol. 150; 1715–1726. 
(vii) Halminen M. 1997. Expression of MxA protein in blood lymphocytes discriminates between viral and bacterial infections in febrile children. Pediatr Res. 41; 647–650. 
(viii) Ivaska L. 2017. Diagnostic studies in children with acute infections: Microbes and biomarkers. Doctoral thesis. Annales Universitatis Turkuensis series D, part 1269, University of Turku, Finland. 
(ix) Toivonen L. 2016. Rhinovirus infections in young children: Clinical manifestations, susceptibility, and host response. Doctoral thesis. Annales Universitatis Turkuensis series D, part 1249, University of Turku, Finland.