SERS-based Immunoassay in a Microfluidic System for the Multiplexed Recognition of Interleukins from Blood Plasma: Towards Picogram Detection

Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 6;7(1):10656. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11152-w.

Abstract

SERS-active nanostructures incorporated into a microfluidic device have been developed for rapid and multiplex monitoring of selected Type 1 cytokine (interleukins: IL-6, IL-8, IL-18) levels in blood plasma. Multiple analyses have been performed by using nanoparticles, each coated with different Raman reporter molecules: 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitro-benzoic acid) (DTNB), fuchsin (FC), and p-mercatpobenzoic acid (p-MBA) and with specific antibodies. The multivariate statistical method, principal component analysis (PCA), was applied for segregation of three different antigen-antibody complexes encoded by three Raman reporters (FC, p-MBA, and DTNB) during simultaneous multiplexed detection approach. To the best of our knowledge, we have also presented, for the first time, a possibility for multiplexed quantification of three interleukins: IL-6, IL-8, and IL-18 in blood plasma samples using SERS technique. Our method improves the detection limit in comparison to standard ELISA methods. The low detection limits were estimated to be 2.3 pg·ml-1, 6.5 pg·ml-1, and 4.2 pg·ml-1 in a parallel approach, and 3.8 pg·ml-1, 7.5 pg·ml-1, and 5.2 pg·ml-1 in a simultaneous multiplexed method for IL-6, IL-8, and IL-18, respectively. This demonstrated the sensitivity and reproducibility desirable for analytical examinations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Immunoassay* / methods
  • Immunoassay* / standards
  • Interleukins / blood*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Microfluidics* / methods
  • Microfluidics* / standards
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Silver / chemistry
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman / methods
  • Trace Elements / metabolism

Substances

  • Interleukins
  • Trace Elements
  • Silver
  • Gold