In this work, a novel electrochemical immunoassay protocol has been reported for simultaneous determination of multiple tumor biomarkers based on DNA hybridization chain reaction (HCR) for signal amplification. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were selected as model biomarkers. The immunoassay protocol contained primary antibodies immobilized on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), secondary antibodies conjugated with DNA concatemer from HCR of primer, auxiliary probe, and signal probe labeled with signal molecules (methyleneblue (MB) and ferrocene (Fc)). In the presence of target biomarkers, the sandwich immunocomplex was formed between the primary antibodies and secondary antibodies bioconjugates carrying numerous signal molecules. As a result, two well-resolved reduction peaks, one was at -0.35 V (corresponding to MB) and other was at 0.33 V (corresponding to Fc; both vs SCE), were obtained in differential pulse voltammetry, and peak currents changed were related to the level of biomarkers. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical immunoassay exhibited a wide linear response range (0.5 pg mL(-1) to 50 ng mL(-1)) and low detection limits (PSA, 0.17 pg mL(-1); AFP, 0.25 pg mL(-1)) (at S/N = 3). In addition, the immunoassay was evaluated by analyzing simulate human serum sample, and the recoveries obtained were within 99.4-107.6% for PSA and 97.9-108.2% for AFP, indicating the immnuoassay could be applied to the simultaneous detection of AFP and PSA in human serum samples.
We describe an electrochemical immunosensor for the simultaneous determination of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) via a modified glassy carbon electrode. Silica nanoparticles (200-300 nm i.d.) with good monodispersity and uniform shape were synthesized, and the following species were then consecutively immobilized on their surface: gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; 5-15 nm i.d.), secondary antibody (Ab 2 ) and the redox-probes Azure A or ferrocenecarboxy acid (Fc). In parallel, two types of primary antibodies (Ab 1 ) were co-immobilized on the surface of the dissolved reduced graphene oxide sheets (rGO) that were also decorated with AuNPs. In the presence of antigens (AFP or PSA), the Ab 2 /Si@AuNPs carrying Azure A and Fc are attached to the AuNP/rGO conjugate via a sandwich type immunoreaction. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was employed to measure the resulting changes in the signal of Fc or Azure A. Two well-resolved oxidation peaks, one at −0.48 V (corresponding to Azure A) and other at+0.12 V (corresponding to Fc; both vs. SCE) can be observed in the DPV curves. Under optimal conditions, AFP and PSA can be simultaneously determined in the range from 0.01 to 25 ng mL‾ 1 for AFP, and from 0.012 to 25 ng mL‾ 1 for PSA. The detection limits are 3.3 pg mL‾ 1 for AFP and 4.0 pg mL‾ 1 for PSA (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The method was applied to (spiked) real sample analysis, and the recoveries are within 96.0 and 107.2 % for PSA, and within 100.9 and 105.8 % for AFP, indicating that this dual immunosensor matches the requirements of clinical analysis.
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