Biosensor immunoassay of ivermectin in bovine milk

A rapid and sensitive biosensor immunoassay was developed for determination of ivermectin residues in bovine milk. A detection limit of 16.2 ng/mL was achieved. A Biacore optical biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance was used, and a range of extraction techniques was investigated. In the final assay procedure, ivermectin was extracted with acetonitrile followed by C8 solid-phase extraction cleanup. It was proven experimentally that 2 methods of milk storage, freezing or addition of mercury-containing compounds as preservatives, could be used without considerable change in detected concentrations (samples were fortified with ivermectin after storage). The average values for milk samples spiked at 100 and 50 ng/mL concentrations were 102.6 and 51.5 ng/mL, respectively. Extraction and analysis of 20 milk samples were performed within a single working day.     

Biosensor immunoassay for traces of hazelnut protein in olive oil

The fraudulent addition of hazelnut oil to more expensive olive oil not only causes economical loss but may also result in problems for allergic individuals as they may inadvertently be exposed to potentially allergenic hazelnut proteins. To improve consumer safety, a rapid and sensitive direct biosensor immunoassay, based on a highly specific monoclonal antibody, was developed to detect the presence of hazelnut proteins in olive oils. The sample preparation was easy (extraction with buffer); the assay time was fast (4.5 min only) and the limit of detection was low (0.08 μg/g of hazelnut proteins in olive oil). Recoveries obtained with an olive oil mixed with different amounts of a hazelnut protein containing hazelnut oil varied between 93% and 109%. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Biosensor immunoassay for the screening of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in retail fish

Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) often make up the majority of the toxic equivalent (TEQ) contribution of dioxins found in fish samples. For the purpose of making risk assessments, it is therefore important to develop screening methods for determining TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs in retail fish. We have developed a rapid biosensor immunoassay (BIA) for DL-PCBs that uses a surface plasmon resonance sensor (Biacore 3000). The BIA is highly specific for 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118) that is generally the most abundant DL-PCB isomer found in fish. The fish extracts were first cleaned up on a multilayer silica gel column followed by an alumina column, then subjected to the assay. The quantitative limit of the assay was 1 ng PCB 118 per gram of tested sample. Dilution and recovery tests using purified fish extracts suggested that the matrix effect was minimized in the assay by diluting the analyzed samples. The assay results for retail fish samples (n=7) agreed well with those obtained by an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) using the same monoclonal antibody: ELISA has been already validated for determining DL-PCBs in fish samples, so BIA performs well in this analysis. Finally, BIA results for the TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs in retail fish samples (n=10) correlated well with those obtained by high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (r=0.89). Our method is therefore useful for screening retail fish to determine the TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs.     

Liquid crystal-based immunoassay for detecting human serum albumin

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in human blood plasma. It is commonly used as a biomarker in urine samples to identify the chronic kidney disease caused by high blood pressure or diabetes. In our research, a thin layer of liquid crystals (LCs) is used as a readout system for developing an immunoassay that reports the presence of HSA in the aqueous solution with optical signals. The detection principle of this assay is based on the variation of surface density of protein upon the specific binding of HSA on an anti-HSA immobilized surface, which leads a dark-to-bright transition of LC images under cross-polarizers. Our results show that the LC-based immunoassay can detect HSA at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. By using the slide with immobilized anti-HSA in array format, the concentration level of HSA can be simply determined by the number of LC spot shown on the slide.     

Two immunoassay formats for fully automated CRP detection in human serum

Immunoassays are a proven approach towards fast, sensitive, cost-effective and easy-to-use analytical systems which are able to measure a variety of interesting analytes, especially in medical diagnostics. Herein, we report two assay formats, binding inhibition and sandwich assay format, for detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) in human serum. Both assays were characterised and compared with respect to their suitability and adaption into a complete sensor system. An automated, optical biosensor system, based on evanescent field technology, was used to carry out a full threefold calibration in each case. Owing to the resulting working ranges, 0.044–2.9 mg L⁻¹ and 0.13–22.9 mg L⁻¹, respectively, the assays qualify for use in detecting high-sensitivity CRP (C-reactive protein).     

Chemiluminescence immunoassay for the detection and quantification of methyltestosterone residues in muscle tissue

Chemiluminescence as a detection method for immunoassay has successfully been applied to the measurement of methyltestosterone (MT) residues in muscle tissue. The sample is digested enzymatically, extracted with diethyl ether and purified on a Lipidex-5000 column. An optional clean-up utilized disposable C18 columns. As the luminescent label the N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol conjugate of MT was used. The antiserum was raised in a rabbit against MT-3-carboxymethyloxime-bovine serum albumin. The detection limit of the assay was 14 +/- 7 pg (n = 13), with a limit of quantification in muscle tissue of 0.125 ppb.     

Reducing nonspecific adhesion on cross-linked hydrogel platforms for real-time immunoassay in serum

Biointerfaces that limit nonspecific adhesion of serum proteins have been developed by relying solely on cross-linked hydrogels. In addition to being characterized for adhesion of serum proteins, immunoassay sensitivity was also investigated through a sandwich assay for rhIL-1ra. Among the compositions developed, the optimal surface is comprised of pre-cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) overlaid on a cross-linked layer of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and PEI and employs an anti-IgG Fc specific ligand for oriented antibody immobilization; viscoelastic modeling provides a thickness estimate of 5 nm for the hydrogel alone, rising to 33 nm after the deposition of antibodies. Alternate compositions employing a Protein A ligand and PEG at the exposed surface of the biointerface were disfavored due to an 8-fold increase in serum adhesion and retarded immobilization kinetics, respectively. Through the rapid deposition provided by hydrogels, construction of the entire biointerface, including receptor immobilization, can be completed in 1 h. Based on QCM-D measurements, estimated nonspecific serum adsorption using these compositions is as low as 1.1 ng/mm2. The immunoassay as developed requires 10 min, providing a detection limit of 500 ng/mL rhIL-1ra in 25% human serum using only 5 microg of the secondary antibody.     

Capillary electrophoresis enzyme immunoassay for alpha-fetoprotein and thyroxine in human serum with electrochemical detection

A novel CE-based enzyme immunoassay (CE-EIA) method was developed in o-aminophenol (OAP)-H(2)O(2)-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) system and applied to benign liver disease and hyperthyroidism research in the clinical practical field. In the presented method, after the enzyme immunoreaction, the HRP-labeled antibody or HRP-labeled antigen catalyzed the enzyme substrate OAP and H(2)O(2). The product of the enzymatic catalysis reaction 2-aminophenoxazine-3-one (AP) was determined using electrochemical detection on a Pt electrode at the outlet of the reaction capillary. Factors influencing the performance, including running buffer concentration, separation, and detection voltage, were investigated to the optimum conditions. Noncompetitive and competitive models were utilized to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and thyroxine (T(4)) in human sera, respectively. The linear ranges and the detection limits (S/N = 3) were from 1.5 to 66.6 ng/mL and 0.48 ng/mL for AFP, and from 1.7 to 260.0 ng/mL and 1.0 ng/mL for T(4). The results of this method were linear proportional to those of spectrophotometric ELISA method, giving a good prospect for a new clinical diagnostic instrument.     

Nanogold-actuated biomimetic peroxidase for sensitized electrochemical immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen in human serum

We present a method for the simultaneous determination of guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA) and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) from urine by protein precipitation and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The chromatographic separation was performed using a cation exchange column with an elution gradient of 0.1 mM and 20 mM ammonium acetate buffers. GSA was detected with the mass spectrometer in negative ion mode monitoring at m/z 174.1, and GAA, creatinine, arginine, and homoarginine were in positive ion mode monitoring at m/z 118.1, 114.1, 175.1, and 189.1, respectively. As an internal standard, l-arginine-¹³C₆ hydrochloride and creatinine-d₃ (methyl-d₃) were used. The calibration ranges were 0.50-25.0 μg mL⁻¹, and good linearities were obtained for all compounds (r > 0.999). The intra- and inter-assay accuracies (expressed as recoveries) and precisions at three concentration levels (1.00, 5.00 and 25.0 μg mL⁻¹) were better than 83.8% and 7.41%, respectively. The analytical performance of the method was evaluated by determination of the compounds in urine from male C57BL/J Iar db/db diabetes mellitus (DM) mice. The values of GSA and GAA corrected by the ratios of the individual compounds to creatinine were significantly increased in DM mice compared with control mice. These results indicated that the newly developed method was useful for determining urinary guanidino compounds and metabolites of arginine.     

Multiplexed immunoassay to detect anabolic androgenic steroids in human serum

A multianalyte enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for the simultaneous detection of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in human serum. The multiplexed method was developed according to a planar strategy in which the analytes are identified by their location in the microtiter plate. In the immunochemical procedure established here, human serum samples are mixed with a cocktail of antibodies and added to the distinct sections of a microplate biofunctionalized with different haptenized biomolecules. The cocktail of antibodies consists of a mixture of polyclonal antibodies raised against stanozolol (ST), boldenone (B), and tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). The whole immunochemical analytical procedure takes around 2 h including sample preparation, and many samples can be processed simultaneously to screen for the presence of the three AAS in a single run. Using this ELISA, ST, B, and THG can be detected and quantified individually. When used as a screening method, due to the cross-reactivity profiles of the immunoreagents used, the presence of up to 11 AAS can be detected simultaneously. The detectabilities achieved by this method in human serum are below the MRPLs (minimum required performance limits) proposed by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and reference laboratories of the European Community.     

Direct-gradient high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis and preliminary pharmacokinetics of flumequine and flumequine acyl glucuronide in humans: effect of probenecid.

A gradient high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis for the direct measurement of flumequine, with its acyl glucuronide, in plasma and urine of humans has been developed. In order to prevent hydrolysis and isomerization of flumequine acyl glucuronide, the samples were acidified by the oral intake of four 1.2-g amounts of ammonium chloride per day. In contrast to the acyl glucuronides of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, flumequine and its acyl glucuronide were stable in urine of pH 5.0-8.0. Flumequine acyl glucuronide is unstable at pH 1.5. In acidic urine (pH 5-6), almost no flumequine is excreted unchanged (1%): it is excreted chiefly as acyl glucuronide (84.2%). Probenecid co-medication reduces the renal excretion rate of flumequine acyl glucuronide from 662 to 447 micrograms/min (p = 0.00080), but not the percentage of glucuronidation.     

Multiplexed high-throughput electrokinetically-controlled immunoassay for the detection of specific bacterial antibodies in human serum

In previous studies we have developed a simple electrokinetically-controlled lab-on-a-chip for heterogeneous immunoassay. In that method, all the sequential operations in an immunoassay, such as reagent loading and washing, were performed automatically by electrokinetically controlling the flow in an H-shaped microchannel. Here, we demonstrated further development of a high-throughput immunoassay microfluidic chip, and the application of the new immunoassay microfluidic chip in assaying human serum. The microfluidic immunoassay analyzed ten samples in parallel in 22 min. Bacterial antibodies in samples were captured by antigens pre-patterned on the bottom wall of a microchannel and then bound with TRITC-labeled detection antibodies to generate fluorescent signals. With optimized surface concentration of antigen, the assay detected Escherichia coli O157:H7 antibody and Helicobacter pylori antibody from buffer solutions in concentration ranges of 0.02-10 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.1-50 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. Human sera that were E. coli-positive or H. pylori-positive were accurately distinguished from respective negative controls. Moreover, the two antibodies, anti-E. coli and anti- H. pylori antibodies, could be simultaneously detected from human serum. This electrokinetically-controlled immunoassay shows an excellent potential for efficiently detecting multiple pathogenic infections in clinical environments.     

OAP-H~2O~2-HRP伏安酶联免疫分析新体系测定人血清铁蛋白

首次提出邻氨基酚(OAP)-H~2O~2-辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)伏安酶联免疫分析新体系并用于人血清中铁蛋白的测定.本方法以线性扫描二阶导数伏安法栓测HRP催化H~2O~2氧化OAP的产物,用于游离HRP和各种HRP标记物的测定,灵敏度均高于经典的ELISA显色光度法.测定游HPR的线性范围为1.0x10^-^1^2-4.0x10^-^9g/mL,检测限达6.0x10^-^1^3g/mL.本法对铁蛋白测定的线性范围为0.2-320ng/mL,用所建立的方法对人血清样品进行了测定,并与现行的ELISA显色光度法进行对照,二者相关性很好.对此伏安酶联免疫分析新体系的电极还原过程也进行了详细的研究.     

Determination of netilmicin in serum by thin-layer densitometry and fluorescence polarization immunoassay

Summary A newly developed thin-layer chromatographic method (TLC) for the quantitative determination of netilmicin in serum is described and compared with fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). The TLC procedure involves solid-phase extraction of the aminoglycoside from serum and chromatography on reversed-phase thin layer. Post-chromatographic derivatization is carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-oxa-3-oxonia-2-boratanaphthalene (DOOB) as fluorescence reagent. The calibration curve for netilmicin in serum is linear in the range 1.0–5.0 g/ml and the detection limit is about 0.2 g/ml (correlation coefficient r=0.9963, mean coefficient of variation V_XO=±5.3 %). A total of 25 serum samples from patients treated with netilmicin was measured by TLC and the results were compared with those of FPIA (Abbott TDx). There is no statistically significant difference between the two procedures (y=–0.35+1.094·x, Passing/Bablok). Thus the TLC-procedure is an alternative for the determination of netilmicin in serum, that possesses the necessary sensitivity of other comparable methods.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

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.     

Development of a rapid and sensitivity magnetic chemiluminescence immunoassay for DNA methyltransferase 1 in human serum

DNA methyltransferase 1(DNMT1) is a useful biomarker for lung cancer in early clinical diagnosis. A rapid magnetic chemiluminescence immunoassay(MCLIA) for DNMT1 in human serum has been developed.Horseradish peroxidase(HRP)-second-Ab was used to labeled polyclonal antibodies of anti-DNMT1. DNMT1 in sample integrates with specific immunomagnetic beads and can constitute a supersandwiched immunoreaction. In magnetic field, nonspecific materials can be separated. After luminescent substrate luminol-H_2O_2-BIP was added, the relative light unit(RLU) of HRP was detected and was discovered to be directly proportional to the content of DNMT1 in sample. The correlative variables involved in the MCLIA value were optimized and the methodological evaluation was carried out. After optimization, in the range of0.5–128 ng/mL, the linear regression equation was y = 0.5014 x + 1.769(x was logCDNMT1, y was relative luminescence units(RLU)/RLU0), and the limit of detection was 0.01 ng/mL. The RSD of intra-and interassays were 15.8%–16.9% and 14.3%–18.1%, respectively. The recovery was from 70.0% to 106.2%.Furthermore, paralleled with purchasable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits, MCLEIA had lower detection limit, wider linear range and shorter detection time. Therefore, the MCLEIA established in this study could be used for the sensitive detection of DNMT1 in serum sample.     

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.