Rapid detection of anti-chromatin autoantibodies in human serum using a portable electrochemical biosensor

The current system employed electrochemical sensor technology for the measurement of autoantibodies in human sera. Anti-chromatin antibodies are an early and sensitive indicator of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are typically quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Electrochemical detection compared favorably with ELISA using a sample of 30 SLE sera (r=0.9), and non-specific binding by normal serum immunoglobulin was undetectable. The electrochemical sensor assay required <20min processing time and utilized a hand-held apparatus with a disposable electrode. These results demonstrate the applicability of this technology to the rapid measurement of a clinically relevant analyte with an apparatus of potential simplicity and low cost.