Detection of complement C4 with a piezoelectric immunosensor

A piezoelectric immunosensor has been developed for the detection of complement C4. Anti-C4 antibody was immobilized onto the gold electrodes of a 9 MHz AT-cut piezoelectric crystal. The coated crystal with the physical adsorption method to immobilize antibody showed the better results than the polyethyleneimine adhesion, glutaraldehyde cross-linking method with respect to sensitivity and reproducibility. The antibody-bound crystal with the physical adsorption method was successfully used for the detection of human complement C4 in the concentration range of 0.1-10 μg/mL for 40 min incubation time. The immunosensor system had good selectivity, and other materials in human serum did not interfere the detection remarkably. The crystal could be regenerated nearly 15 times when the bound materials on the crystal surface were eluted by strong acid and strong alkali solutions and subsequently cleaned in a ultrasonic cleaner.