Piezoelectric immunoassay for complement C4 based on a Nafion-modified interface for antibody immobilization

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Complement C4 (C4) is a crucial component of the immune system.
• Accurate determination of C4 levels is vital for diagnosing various diseases.
• Existing C4 detection methods can be complex and time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, rapid, and sensitive piezoelectric immunosensor for C4 determination.
• To utilize Nafion membrane for efficient antibody immobilization on a quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM).
• To evaluate the performance of the developed immunosensor for C4 detection in human serum.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a piezoelectric immunosensor using a Nafion membrane on a QCM electrode.
• Immobilization of anti-C4 antibodies onto the Nafion-modified QCM surface.
• Optimization of immunosensor preparation and assay parameters.
• Characterization of the modified surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• The immunosensor demonstrated a good response to C4 within the range of 0.08-1.6 µg/ml.
• The method achieved a low relative standard deviation of <5.3%.
• The immunosensor exhibited simple immobilization, rapid assay, and efficient regeneration processes.

Conclusions:

• The developed Nafion-based piezoelectric immunosensor is a sensitive and reliable tool for C4 detection.
• The simple and efficient nature of the sensor makes it suitable for clinical diagnosis.
• This approach offers a promising alternative for the clinical assessment of complement C4.