Aptamer-based competitive binding assay for one-step quantitation of hepatitis B surface antigen

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Hepatology

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBsAg) detection is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Current HBsAg quantitation methods can be time-consuming and require extensive sample preparation.
• There is a need for rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel aptamer-based competitive binding assay for one-step HBsAg quantitation.
• To evaluate the assay's sensitivity, accuracy, and efficiency compared to existing methods.

Main Methods:

• Development of an aptamer-based competitive binding assay.
• One-step quantitation without pre-treatment or washing steps.
• Application of the assay for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) detection.

Main Results:

• The assay demonstrated high sensitivity, detecting HBsAg as low as 1.25 mIU mL(-1).
• Achieved approximately 40-fold improvement in sensitivity compared to the Abbott Architect assay.
• Showcased low intrinsic background noise, low costs, and high resolution.
• Exhibited superior recovery and accuracy over conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed aptamer assay provides a rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for HBsAg quantitation.
• This one-step assay simplifies the detection process, eliminating the need for tedious procedures.
• The assay holds significant potential for improved hepatitis B diagnostics.