Detection of dengue NS1 antigen using long-range surface plasmon waveguides

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The non-structural 1 (NS1) protein of the dengue virus is a key biomarker for early dengue infection diagnosis.
• Current diagnostic methods like ELISA can be time-consuming and require specific laboratory equipment.
• Developing rapid and sensitive detection methods for NS1 antigen is crucial for timely patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for detecting naturally-occurring dengue NS1 antigen in patient blood plasma.
• To evaluate the performance of straight long-range surface plasmon waveguides for NS1 detection.
• To compare the efficacy of three commercially-available anti-NS1 monoclonal antibodies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized straight long-range surface plasmon waveguides for direct detection of dengue NS1 antigen.
• Employed three distinct anti-NS1 monoclonal antibodies for antigen recognition.
• Applied a figure of merit similar to ELISA for quantitative analysis and comparison.

Main Results:

• Successfully differentiated positive dengue patient samples from negative controls.
• Achieved a maximum signal-to-noise ratio of 356.
• Estimated the best detection limit at 5.73 pg/mm(2).
• Demonstrated results consistent with conventional ELISA methods.

Conclusions:

• Straight long-range surface plasmon waveguides offer a viable and sensitive platform for dengue NS1 antigen detection.
• The developed method shows potential for early and accurate dengue diagnosis.
• Further optimization using different antibodies could enhance diagnostic capabilities.