Design of a triplex fluorescence aptasensor for a culture-free diagnosis of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis (PDRP) is a serious complication of home dialysis.
• Current diagnostic methods (culture, Gram staining) are slow and may yield false negatives.
• Rapid and accurate detection of PDRP pathogens is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and culture-free diagnostic assay for simultaneous detection of key PDRP pathogens.
• To evaluate the performance of a triplex fluorescence aptasensor for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa detection.
• To assess the potential of this assay for point-of-care diagnostics in peritoneal dialysis.

Main Methods:

• A culture-free triplex fluorescence aptasensor was designed using DNA triplex structures.
• The sensor utilizes an aptamer flanked by fluorophore- and quencher-labeled complementary strands.
• Bacterial detection is based on fluorescence restoration upon target-induced aptamer binding.

Main Results:

• The aptasensor achieved simultaneous detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity against non-target organisms.
• Showed robust performance in sterilized clinical peritoneal fluid samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed aptasensor offers a simple, cost-effective, and rapid method for PDRP pathogen identification.
• This technology has strong potential for point-of-care diagnostics in peritoneal dialysis settings.
• Enables timely clinical decision-making and improved patient management for PDRP.