Zinc oxide nanoparticles based microfluidic immunosensor applied in congenital hypothyroidism screening

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) is a leading preventable cause of mental retardation in newborns worldwide.
• Early diagnosis via thyrotropin (TSH) measurement is crucial for preventing severe developmental consequences.
• Current screening methods require improvement for routine clinical adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative, sensitive, and efficient microfluidic device for neonatal TSH screening.
• To utilize synthesized zinc oxide-chitosan nanobeads (ZnO-CH NBs) for antibody immobilization and TSH capture.
• To enable rapid and accurate quantification of TSH levels in neonatal blood samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized ZnO-CH NBs were characterized using SEM and XRD.
• ZnO-CH NBs were integrated into a microfluidic device for anti-TSH antibody immobilization.
• TSH was captured and quantified electrochemically using HRP-conjugated antibodies.

Main Results:

• The developed system demonstrated high sensitivity with detection limits of 0.00087 μUI mL⁻¹ (electrochemical) and 0.015 μUI mL⁻¹ (ELISA).
• Within- and between-assay coefficients of variation were below 6.31%, indicating excellent reproducibility.
• The method achieved a detection limit suitable for routine TSH neonatal screening.

Conclusions:

• The proposed microfluidic device with ZnO-CH NBs offers a promising platform for congenital hypothyroidism screening.
• The system's sensitivity, accuracy, and potential for routine clinical adaptation make it advantageous.
• This approach facilitates early diagnosis and intervention, crucial for preventing intellectual disability in affected newborns.