The use of electronic sensor in hormone analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Antibody-based biosensors are increasingly vital for clinical applications.
• Accurate quantification of hormones like human Follicle Stimulating Hormone (hFSH) is crucial for diagnosing various medical conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the efficacy of a conductometric biosensor for quantifying hFSH in urine samples.
• To adapt Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) principles for electronic detection of antigen-antibody reactions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a gold-coated electrode for biosensor development.
• Utilizing an antibody-antigen complex within a microtiter well.
• Employing a substrate-induced enzymatic reaction to generate electroactive species, altering solution conductivity proportional to hFSH concentration.

Main Results:

• The conductometric biosensor accurately quantitated hFSH, with results correlating well to conventional ELISA.
• Achieved low inter- and intra-assay variation (CV < 6%) and a detection limit of 0.75 mIU/ml, within the physiological range.
• Demonstrated advantages including simplicity, reliability, minimal reagent use, and potential for miniaturization.

Conclusions:

• Antigen-antibody reactions can be effectively detected electronically using this biosensor approach.
• The developed conductometric biosensor shows significant potential as a novel measuring mode for clinical analysis of hFSH.