A rapid bio-optical sensor for diagnosing Q fever in clinical specimens
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Published on: April 18, 2016
Bonhan Koo1, Choong Eun Jin1, Se Yoon Park2
1Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and the Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute of Life Sciences 88 Olympicro-43gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Recent zoonotic outbreaks, such as Zika, Middle East respiratory syndrome and Ebola, have highlighted the need for rapid and accurate diagnostic assays that can be used to aid pathogen control. Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the transmission of Coxiella burnetii that can cause serious illness in humans through aerosols and is considered a potential bioterrorism agent. However, the existing assays are not suitable for the detection of this pathogen due to its low levels in real samples. We here describe a rapid bio-optical sensor for the accurate detection of Q fever and validate its clinical utility. By combining a bio-optical sensor, that transduces the presence of the target DNA based on binding-induced changes in the refractive index on the waveguide surface in a label-free and real-time manner, with isothermal DNA amplification, this new diagnostic tool offers a rapid (<20 min), 1-step DNA amplification/detection method. We confirmed the clinical sensitivity (>90%) of the bio-optical sensor by detecting C. burnetii in 11 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsy samples from acute Q fever hepatitis patients and in 16 blood plasma samples from patients in which Q fever is the cause of fever of unknown origin.
Insights
A new bio-optical sensor rapidly detects Coxiella burnetii, the cause of Q fever. This diagnostic tool offers a fast, single-step method for identifying Q fever in clinical samples with high sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostics
Background:
- Zoonotic outbreaks necessitate rapid diagnostic tools for pathogen control.
- Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a serious zoonotic disease with potential bioterrorism implications.
- Existing diagnostic assays for Coxiella burnetii lack sensitivity for detecting low pathogen levels in clinical samples.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a rapid bio-optical sensor for accurate Q fever detection.
- To address the limitations of current diagnostic methods for Coxiella burnetii.
Main Methods:
- Development of a label-free, real-time bio-optical sensor utilizing binding-induced refractive index changes.
- Integration of the bio-optical sensor with isothermal DNA amplification for a single-step assay.
- Validation of the diagnostic tool using clinical samples, including formalin-fixed liver biopsies and blood plasma.
Main Results:
- The developed diagnostic tool provides rapid (<20 minutes) detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA.
- The assay demonstrated high clinical sensitivity (>90%) in detecting the pathogen in patient samples.
- Successful detection of Coxiella burnetii in liver biopsies from Q fever hepatitis patients and plasma from fever of unknown origin cases.
Conclusions:
- The rapid bio-optical sensor offers a promising new diagnostic method for Q fever.
- This technology enables swift and accurate identification of Coxiella burnetii, aiding in disease management and control.
- The sensor's high sensitivity and speed make it suitable for clinical applications, including outbreak scenarios.
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