Bone Abstracts

Periostin (osteoblast-specific factor OSF-2) is a glycoprotein that in humans is encoded by the POSTN gene. It is a component of the extracellular matrix and is thought to be involved in osteoblast recruitment, attachment and spreading.

The N-terminus part of periostin is conserved, while the C-terminal region gives rise to different splice isoforms upon alternative splicing. The isoforms have a molecular weight range from 83 to 93 kDa.

We have developed a specific and sensitive sandwich ELISA for the detection of human periostin.

The assay utilizes monoclonal and purified polyclonal antibodies and recognizes epitopes that are conserved between periostin of human, mouse, rat, cynomolgus macaque, dog and cat origin. The assay is optimized for human serum and plasma (citrate, heparin, EDTA) samples. It is able to detect all known splicing forms of human periostin.

Samples from apparently healthy individuals measure within calibration point 2 and 5 out of seven points of the calibration curve, with a range of up to 4,000 pM. The detection limit of the assay is below 1 pM.

Assay characteristics, such as intra/inter-assay precision, dilution linearity and spike/recovery as well as sample stability meet standards of acceptance.

This novel ELISA provides a reliable and accurate tool for the quantitative determination of periostin in human samples.