A fluorescence-based immunochromatographic assay using quantum dot-encapsulated nanoparticles for the rapid and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global health concern, necessitating early detection for improved outcomes.
• Fetuin-B is a promising biomarker for early CAD detection, but a simple clinical test is unavailable.
• Current diagnostic methods lack the speed and sensitivity required for widespread preliminary screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile and reliable fluorescent biosensor for fetuin-B detection in plasma.
• To combine quantum dots-doped polystyrene nanoparticles with an immunochromatographic assay strip (QNPs-ICAS) for enhanced sensitivity.
• To validate the biosensor's performance in clinical samples for potential CAD screening.

Main Methods:

• Development of a QNPs-ICAS system utilizing a double-antibody sandwich structure.
• Optimization of experimental conditions to maximize sensor performance.
• Validation of the QNPs-ICAS system against a commercial ELISA kit using clinical plasma samples.

Main Results:

• The QNPs-ICAS biosensor demonstrated a wide linear range (1-200 ng mL⁻¹) and a low detection limit (0.299 ng mL⁻¹).
• The sensor exhibited high sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and excellent recovery rates.
• Clinical sample validation showed excellent correlation (r=0.98451, n=116) with a commercial ELISA kit.

Conclusions:

• The developed QNPs-ICAS biosensor offers a rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for fetuin-B detection.
• This technology shows significant potential for preliminary screening and diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
• The biosensor provides a viable alternative for clinical applications requiring efficient biomarker detection.