Analytical performance of luminescent immunoassays of different format for serum daidzein analysis

Two sensitive competitive-type solid-phase immunoassays for serum daidzein analysis have been developed and optimized. The first is a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay that uses black polystyrene microtiter wells in which daidzein-specific antibodies raised in rabbits are immobilized and a daidzein derivative is coupled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a label. The HRP activity of the antibody-bound tracer is measured with an enhanced chemiluminescent system (luminol/H2O2/enhancer). The second immunoassay is based on the use of bovine serum albumin-daidzein derivative immobilized on microtiter plates and a secondary anti-rabbit IgG-Fc fragment conjugated with 4,7-bis(chlorosulfophenyl)-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid (BCPDA). Formation of the complex Eu3+-BCPDA enables time-resolved fluorescence-mode detection of the amount of antibody bound to the immobilized antigen. Both methods fulfilled all the requirements of accuracy and precision. The detection limit was the same for each method, 10 pg/well; this is better than that of other immunoassays. The specificity of the two methods was different, because of their competitive-type mechanisms. The performance of the chemiluminescence method is better, because the cross-reactivity of the main interfering compound (genistein) was 5%, compared with 25% for the time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.     

Employment of 4-(1-imidazolyl)phenol as a luminol signal enhancer in a competitive-type chemiluminescence immunoassay and its comparison with the conventional antigen-horseradish peroxidase conjugate-based assay

This study describes the employment of a novel imidazole-substituted phenol [4-(1-imidazolyl)phenol] as a highly potent signal enhancer in a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-luminol chemiluminescence (CL) immunoassay. This competitive-type immunoassay for the model antigen fentanyl is based on the use of fentanyl polyclonal antibody immobilized on white microtiter plates and a biotinylated bovine serum albumin (BSA)-fentanyl derivative as a tracer. The latter was detected by means of streptavidin labeled with HRP, resulting in the generation of a high-intensity and relatively stable chemiluminescent signal, immediately after the addition of the substrate solution (NOAS). The developed method fulfilled the requirements of accuracy (percentage recovery ranged from 93.8 to 107%) and precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs were 2.5-5.2 and 4.5-11.9%, respectively). Its plasma detection limit (1.05 pg ml⁻¹) was lower than those of previous immunoassays. The novel assay was compared in terms of sensitivity and concentration range with other common HRP substrate systems: luminol-p-iodophenol-H₂O₂ and TMB-H₂O₂. Finally, the described method was compared with an HRP-fentanyl conjugate-based assay, similar to commercially available kits (SKIT), employing the novel substrate solution for both assays and the differences observed were explained by applying previously described models. The detection limit was 4.82 pg ml⁻¹ for SKIT, recovery values were 94.2-105% and intra- and inter-assay CVs were 2.5-5.2 and 4.5-11.9%, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed assay could be utilized for a wide range of molecules and replace the existing enzyme-labeled antigen-based kits.     

Development and validation of a sensitive and fast chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for the detection of genetically modified maize

Proteins from the Cry 1 family, in particular Cry 1Ab, are commonly expressed in genetically modified Bt maize in order to control chewing insect pests. A sensitive chemiluminescent sandwich enzyme immunoassay for the detection of Cry1Ab protein from genetically modified Bt maize has been developed and validated. A Cry1Ab protein-specific antibody was immobilized on 96- or 384-well microtiter plates in order to capture the Cry1Ab toxin in the sample; the bound toxin was then detected by employing a second anti-Cry1Ab antibody and a horseradish peroxidase-labeled anti-antibody, followed by measurement of the enzyme activity with an enhanced chemiluminescent system. The chemiluminescent assay fulfilled all the requirements of accuracy and precision and exhibited limits of detection of a few pg mL⁻¹ Cry1Ab (3 or 5 pg mL⁻¹, depending on the assay format), which are significantly lower than that achievable using conventional colorimetric detection of peroxidase activity and also represent an improvement compared to previously developed Cry1Ab immunoassays. High-throughput analysis can be performed using the 384-well microtiter plate format immunoassay, which also allows one to reduce the consumption of samples and reagents. Validation of the assay, performed by analyzing certified reference materials, proved that the immunoassay is able to detect the presence of the Cry1Ab protein in certified reference samples containing as low as 0.1% of MON 810 genetically modified Bt maize. This value is below the threshold requiring mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified material according to the actual EU regulation.     

A rapid and sensitive 384-microtiter wells format chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for clenbuterol

A fast and sensitive chemiluminescent (CL) enzyme immunoassay for clenbuterol (CLB) analysis in bovine urine has been developed. Clenbuterol (CLB) specific polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbit using a CLB azo derivative conjugated with ovalbumin. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used as label and conjugated with the same derivative. In the developed competitive method, antibodies were immobilized on 384-wells black polystyrene microtiter plates; the sample volume was 20 mul and HRP-labeled CLB activity was immediately measured, using different CL substrates, after 10 min incubation time. Emitted light was recorded using a sensitive back-illuminated, cooled CCD camera or a conventional, photomultiplier-based micrtotiter plate reader. The developed method fulfills all the requirements of precision (CV below 10%) and accuracy (mean recovery from 96 to 110%) with a detection limit of 0.08 ppb in urine matrix. The use of 384-wells microtiter plate allows a 5-fold reduction in reagent quantity and the CL detection improves the detectability of the HRP-labeled tracer, thus reducing analysis time. The developed method is therefore suitable for high-throughput screening of CLB in urine samples, with reduced costs as compared with conventional colorimetric enzyme immunoassays, thanks to the possibility to optimize the system in non-equilibrium immunological conditions and with a very fast chemiluminescence detection of the HRP-label activity.     

Flow Injection Chemiluminescence for the Determination of Estriol via a Noncompetitive Enzyme Immunoassay

A novel approach to the detection of estriol using a flow injection system coupled to enhanced chemiluminescent immunoassay was developed based on noncompetitive immunoassay formats. A conjugated estriol-ovalbumin immobilized immunoaffinity column was inserted into the flow system to trap the unbound horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled antibody after an off-line incubation of estriol and HRP-labeled anti-estriol antibody. The trapped enzyme conjugate was detected by the injection of chemiluminescent substrates to produce enhanced chemiluminescence. The linear range for the determination of estriol is 10.0 to 400 ng · mL⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.996 and a detection limit of 5.0 ng · mL⁻¹. The total time for sampling and chemiluminescent detection of one sample is 400 seconds after 30 min of pre-incubation. The results for pregnancy serum samples obtained by this method are in good agreement with those obtained using ELISA.     

Development of a heterogeneous chemiluminescent flow immunoassay for DDT and related compounds

A heterogeneous chemiluminescent (CL) flow immunoassay for DDT was optimized comparing different types of immunoaffinity supports: beads, nylon coils and membranes (membranes HyBondN+). In order to characterize solid immunoaffinity supports two basic immunoassay formats were performed, using (1) enzyme-labeled secondary and (2) enzyme-labeled specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). In both formats, hapten DDT5 conjugated to ovalbumin immobilized on solid supports according to the appropriate immobilization procedure, enzyme label (horseradish peroxidase, HRP) and luminescent detection (luminol/H₂O₂/p-iodophenol) were used. The lowest limit of detection (LOD), 1 nM p,p-DDT, was obtained with a membrane-based flow immunoassay with HRP-labeled specific antibody. Beads and packed tubing were discarded as appropriate supports because of the difficulties encountered for reproducible packing and the occurrence of light scatterring (beads), which seriously compromised the performance and reproducibility of the flow immunoassay.     

Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescent Analysis of Residual Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) Based on a Pair of Specific Monoclonal Antibodies and Peroxyoxalate–glyoxaline–PHPPA Dimer Chemiluminescent System in Vaccines

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed fluorescent reaction, and oxalate chemiluminescence analysis have been combined to develop a highly sensitive, simple, and rapid method for analysis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) based on a pair of specific monoclonal antibodies in vaccines. A typical ??sandwich type?? immunoassay was used. Reaction of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl propionate) (PHPPA) with hydrogen peroxide-urea, catalyzed by HRP, produced fluorescence of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl propionate) dimer, which was detected by chemiluminescence analysis with the bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO)?CH₂O₂?Cglyoxaline?CPHPPA dimer chemiluminescent system. This method exhibited high performance with a linear correlation between response and amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the range 0.1 to 100.0?ng?mL^?1 (r?=?0.9988), and the detection limit was 0.03?ng?mL^?1 (S/N?=?3). Intra- and interassay coefficient variations were all lower than 9.0% at three concentrations (1.0, 20.0, and 80.0?ng?mL^?1). The proposed method has been used for successful analysis of the amount of residual BSA in vaccines. The results obtained compared well with those obtained by conventional colorimetric ELISA and luminol chemiluminescent ELISA.     

Mesoporous carbon-enriched palladium nanostructures with redox activity for enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay of brevetoxin B

A new signal amplification strategy based on mesoporous carbon-enriched palladium nanostructure (MSC-PdNS) was designed for enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay of brevetoxin B (BTB) in marine toxins. The assay was carried out on a BTB-bovine serum albumin-functionalized electrode by using monoclonal mouse anti-BTB-labeling MSC-PdNS as the signal-transduction tag. A competitive-type assay protocol was successfully introduced to develop a high-efficiency enzyme-free immunoassay accompanying the doped palladium nanostructure into MSC-PdNS toward reduction of H₂O₂. Under the optimal conditions, the catalytic current decreased with the increment of BTB concentration in the range from 0.01 to 10 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit (LOD) of 5.0 pg mL⁻¹ BTB at the 3s_blank criterion. The selectivity and precision were acceptable. In addition, the methodology was further validated for assaying spiked seafood samples, and consistent results between the electrochemical immunoassay and the referenced enzyme immunoassay were obtained. Importantly, the enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay provides a promising approach for rapid screening of marine toxin because of its simplicity, low cost, sensitivity, specificity and without the need of sample pretreatment.     

Flow injection chemiluminescence immunoassay for 17β-estradiol using an immunoaffinity column

A new flow injection chemiluminescent immunoassay was developed for the detection of 17β-estradiol (E₂). The method uses p–iodophenol (PIP) as enhancer and is based on a solid-phase immunoassay format in which an E₂–OVA immobilized immunoaffinity column inserted in the flow system is used to trap unbound horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled anti-E₂ antibody after an off-line incubation of E₂ with HRP-labeled anti-E₂ antibody. The trapped enzyme conjugate was detected by injecting substrates to produce an enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) response. The linear range for E₂ was 10.0–1,000.0 ng mL⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.996 and a detection limit of 3.0 ng mL⁻¹. The sampling and chemiluminescence detection time for one sample was 400 s after a pre-incubation procedure of 30 min. Serum samples detected by this method were in good agreement with the results obtained by EIA with E₂–biotin.      

Chemiluminescent imaging analysis of interferon alpha in serum samples

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed fluorescent reaction, and oxalate chemiluminescence imaging analysis have been combined to develop a sensitive, simple, and rapid method for analysis of interferon alpha (α-IFN) in human serum samples. A typical “sandwich type” immunoassay was used. Reaction of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), catalyzed by HRP, produced 2,3-diaminophenazine (PDA), which was detected by chemiluminescence imaging analysis with the bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO)–H₂O₂–glyoxaline–PDA chemiluminescent system. The TCPO chemiluminescent imaging system is more sensitive and the chemiluminescence quantum yield is at least five times higher than for the luminol–H₂O₂–HRP–PIP (p-iodophenol) chemiluminescent imaging system. The results showed there was a very good linear correlation between response and amount of α-IFN in the range 1.3–156.0 pg mL⁻¹ (R = 0.9991) and the detection limit was 0.8 pg mL⁻¹ (S/N=3). The relative standard deviation (n = 9) was 4.7%. The proposed method has been used for successful analysis of the amount of α-IFN in human serum. The results obtained compared well with those obtained by conventional colorimetric ELISA and luminol chemiluminescent ELISA. Figure Procedures of the proposed method     

Detection and Quantification of Sulfonamide Antibiotic Residues in Milk Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

The use of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) for the qualitative and quantitative determination of sulfapyridine (SPY) in milk is described. A direct competitive immunoassay was performed involving an antibiotic horseradish peroxidase (HRP)‐labeled analog and using selective capture antibodies immobilized on the surface of Protein G‐modified glassy carbon plates. SECM detection was accomplished by means of the sample generator/tip collector (GC) mode involving the reduction of benzoquinone (BQ) generated upon the HRP‐catalyzed oxidation of hydroquinone (HQ) at the modified substrate surface in the presence of H₂O₂. The detection limit for SPY in milk samples was as low as 0.13 ng mL^?1.     

Gold nanoparticle-labeled detection antibodies for use in an enhanced electrochemical immunoassay of hepatitis B surface antigen in human serum

The application of gold nanoparticle-based electrochemical immunoassays have been extensively studied for the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), but most often they exhibit low sensitivity. We describe the fabrication of a new electrochemical immunoassay for signal amplification of the antigen-antibody reaction combined with the nanogold-based bio-barcode technique. Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was initially immobilized on a nanogold/thionine/DNA-modified gold electrode, and then a sandwich-type immunoassay format was employed for the detection of HBsAg using nanogold-codified horseradish peroxidase-HBsAb conjugates as secondary antibodies. Under optimal conditions, the current response of the sandwich-type immunocomplex relative to the H₂O₂ system was proportional to HBsAg concentration in the range from 0.5 to 650 ng·mL^?1 with a detection limit of 0.1 ng·mL^?1 (S/N?=?3). The precision, reproducibility and stability of the immunosensor were acceptable. Subsequently, the immunosensors were used to assay HBsAg in human serum specimens. Analytical results were in agreement with those obtained by the standard chemiluminescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.     

Electrochemical immunoassay of hepatitis B surface antigen by the amplification of gold nanoparticles based on the nanoporous gold electrode

We describe herein the combination of electrochemical immunoassay using nanoporous gold (NPG) electrode with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled secondary antibody-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) bioconjugates for highly sensitive detection of protein in serum. The electroactive product of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) oxidized with H₂O₂ catalyzed by HRP was reduced in the Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer and the peak current of which was used to determine the concentration of antigen (Ag) in the analyte. The active surface area of NPG electrode was larger than that of a bare flat one. The presence of AuNPs enhanced the immobilized amount of HRP labeled antibody (Ab), which improved the sensitivity of the immunoassay when used as the secondary antibodies. As a result of these two combined effects, the sensitivity of the immunoassay for the determination of target protein was increased significantly. Using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a model, we demonstrate a dose response in the range of 0.01-1.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 2.3 pg/mL. Analytical results of several human serum samples obtained using the developing technique are in satisfactory agreement with those given by enzyme-linked immune-absorbent assays (ELISA). In addition, the technique was about 100 times more sensitive in the detection of HBsAg than ELISA. All these demonstrated the feasibility of the present immunoassay method for clinical diagnosis.     

Homogeneous immunoassay for human IgG using oriented hen egg IgY immobilized on gold sol nanoparticles

Homogeneous immunoassays using (red) gold nanoparticles represent an attractive detection scheme because of the option of photometric readout. We have applied oriented immobilization of hen egg immunoglobulin Y (IgY) on gold nanoparticles when developing a homogeneous immunoassay for human IgG. In oriented immobilization, as opposed to random immobilization, the antigen binding capabilities of the antibodies are retained. It is shown that such immunoassay has significantly better sensitivity in comparison with methods based on conventional immobilization of affinity-purified antibodies. It is also shown that hen egg IgY is better suited than rabbit antibodies, because much more antibody can be immobilized on gold nanoparticles without any destabilization, probably because of the more acidic nature of these antibodies. In addition, hen egg IgY can be supplied in higher quantity and can be prepared more easily than IgG from rabbits. Bleeding and slaughtering of animals is not needed. The assay presented here has a wide detection range (30–500?ng?.mL^?1) and a limit of detection as low as 30?ng.mL^?1 of human IgG.

A secondary antibody format chemiluminescence immunoassay for the determination of estradiol in human serum

A competitive immunoassay for estradiol (E2) based on secondary antibody format was established. The donkey anti-rabbit IgG was used as the secondary antibody to coat micro-plates, and the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-luminol-H₂O₂ chemiluminescent system with high sensitivity was chosen as the detection system. The addition of sodium trichloroacetate (CCl₃COONa) in the enzyme buffer as a replaceable packing material can realize directly analysis of E2 in human serum without extraction, which improved reproducibility and resolution of the assay. Additionally, the method showed specific recognition of estrogen, without cross-reaction for the major steroids (estrone (E1), estriol (E3), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, testosterone (T)) commonly found in human serum. The chemiluminescence immunoassay with secondary antibody can be applied to detect E2 with good precision at concentrations as low as 1.48 pg mL⁻¹. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of E2 in 97 human sera and showed a good correlation compared with the commercially radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit with a correlative coefficient of 0.9881. This method has exhibited great potential in the fabrication of diagnostic kit and can be used in the clinical analysis of E2 in human serum.     

Determination of estradiol in human serum using magnetic particles-based chemiluminescence immunoassay

A magnetic particles (MPs)-based chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) with high sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility was proposed for the evaluation of estradiol (E₂) in human sera. The MPs coated with secondary antibody were used as dispersed solid phase for the immunoassay, and the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-luminol-H₂O₂ chemiluminescent system with high sensitivity was chosen as the detection system. The method showed specific recognition to E₂, without cross-reaction for the major steroids, including estrone (E₁), estriol (E₃), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, and testosterone (T), which was commonly found in human serum. The addition of sodium trichloracetate (Na-TCA) in the enzyme buffer as a blocking agent contributed to the realization of direct analysis of E₂ in human serum without extraction. Besides, the effects of several physicochemical parameters, including the dilution ratios of E₂-6-HRP conjugate and anti-E₂ polyclonal antibody, immunoreaction time, chemiluminescent (CL) substrate volume, volume of MPs, and CL reaction time, were studied and optimized. The proposed method had a detection limit of 2.51 pg mL⁻¹ with a larger working range of 15-1000 pg mL⁻¹. The inter-assay and intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) were both less than 15%. The average recoveries of three different spiked concentration samples were 93.3, 106 and 101%, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of E₂ in 105 human sera and showed a good correlation compared with the commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit with a correlative coefficient of 0.9892. This method has exhibited great potential in the fabrication of diagnostic kit and could be used in the clinical analysis of E₂ in human serum.     

A Novel Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Using Solid‐Phase Antigen for Free 17β‐Estradiol in Human Serum

A high‐performance chemiluminescence immunoassay, with long‐term durability, good precision and time‐saving, was proposed for the detection of free 17β‐estradiol (E₂) in human serum. Ninety‐six microplates were coated with bovine serum albumin conjugated E₂ antigen as solid phase for the immunoassay. The E₂‐BSA antigen coated on the microplate and the E₂ antigen in the sample competed for the binding sites on the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled anti‐E₂ antibody. Chemiluminescence reaction was subsequently carried out by HRP catalyzing luminol‐H₂O₂ substrates, and the chemiluminescence intensity was inversely proportional to the amount of analyte in human sera samples. The concentration of immunoreagents, immunoreaction time, and other relevant variable conditions upon the immunoassay were studied and optimized. The proposed method exhibited detection limit as low as 5.94×10^?3 µg·L^?1 in a linear detection range from 0.01 to 1.00 µg·L^?1, good recoveries between 105% and 108%, and high precision with intra‐ and inter‐assay coefficients between 7.9% and 14.3%.     

Fluorometric enzyme immunosensing system based on natural product resveratrol for horseradish peroxidase and Ag/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles

The properties of resveratrol (3′, 4′, 5-trihydroxystlbene, RST) were for the first time evaluated as a potential substrate for horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed fluorogenic reaction. The properties of RST for use as fluorogenic substrates for HRP and its application in immunoassays were compared with commercially available substrates such as p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (pHPPA), chavicol and Amplex red by a fluoroimmunosensing method in the use of Schistosomia japonicum antibody (SjAb) as a model analyte. The fluoroimmunosensing device was constructed by dispersing Schistosomia japonicum antigen (SjAg), nano-Ag/SiO₂ particles and sol-gel at low temperature. In pH 5.8 Britton-Robinson buffer (B-R), HRP-SjAb conjugates can catalyze the polymerization reaction of RST by H₂O₂ forming fluorescent dimmers. The increase of the fluorescence intensity of the dimmers product at emission of 462 nm (excitation: 315 nm) is proportional to the concentration of HRP-SjAb binding to the SjAg entrapped in the nano-Ag/SiO₂ particles-sol-gel matrix. A competitive binding assay has been used to determine SjAb in rabbit serum with the aid of SjAb labeled with HRP. Substrate RST showed comparable ability for HRP detection and its enzyme-linked immunosensing reaction system, in a linear detection ranging of 1.5×10⁻⁶–7.3×10⁻⁴ g/L and with a detection limit of 1.5×10⁻⁶ g/L. The immobilized biocomposites surface could be regenerated by simply polishing with an alumina paper, with an excellent reproducibility (RSD = 4.7%). The proposed method has been successfully used for analysis of the rabbit serum sample with satisfactory results. Supported by the Projects of Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department of China (Grant Nos. 05B020 and 06C098)     

One‐Step Electrochemical Immunoassay for Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Human via Back‐Filling Immobilization of Gold Nanoparticles on DNA‐Modified Gold Electrodes

A new amperometric immunobiosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) determination in human serum was developed via encapsulation of horseradish peroxidase‐labeled carcinoembryonic antibody (HRP‐anti‐CEA) in a gold nanoparticles/DNA composite architecture. The presences of gold nanoparticles provided a congenial microenvironment for the immobilized biomolecules and decreased the electron transfer impedance, leading to a direct electrochemical behavior of the immobilized HRP. The formation of the antibody–antigen complex by a simple one‐step immunoreaction between the immobilized HRP‐anti‐CEA and CEA in sample solution introduced a barrier of direct electrical communication between the immobilized HRP and the gold electrode surface. Under optimal conditions, the current change obtained from the labeled HRP relative to H₂O₂ system was proportional to the CEA concentration in two linear ranges from 0.5 to 15 ng/mL and 15 to 300 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.1 ng/mL (at 3δ). The precision and reproducibility are acceptable with the intraassay CV of 6.3% and 4.7% at 8 and 60 ng/mL CEA, respectively. The storage stability of the proposed immunosensor is acceptable in a pH 7.0 PBS at 4 °C for 9 days. Moreover, the proposed immunosensors were used to analyze CEA in human serum specimens. Analytical results of clinical samples show the developed immunoassay has a promising alternative approach for detecting CEA in the clinical diagnosis.     

Gold Nanoparticles Doped Three‐Dimensional Sol‐gel Matrix for Amperometric Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin Immunosensor

A novel electrochemical immunosensor for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) was proposed by immobilization of hCG in gold nanoparticles doped three‐dimensional (3D) sol‐gel matrix and an interfacial competitive immunoreaction. The 3D organized composite structure was prepared by assemble of gold nanoparticles into a hydrolyzed (3‐mercaptopropyl)‐trimethoxysilane sol‐gel matrix, which showed good biocompatibility. After the interfacial competitive immunoreaction the formed HRP‐labeled immunoconjugate showed good enzymatic activity for the oxidation of o‐phenylenediamine by H₂O₂. With a competitive format, a method comprising of o‐phenylenediamine‐H₂O₂‐immobilized HRP labeled hCG immunoconjugate system for immunoassay of hCG from 5.0 to 30.0 mIU mL^?1 was developed. The immunosensor showed good precision, high sensitivity, acceptable stability and reproducibility and could be used for detection of hCG in human serum with the consistent results in comparison with those obtained by a commercial analyzer.