Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Immunoassay Using Signal Amplification of the Coagulation Cascade

Anal Chem. 2022 Sep 13;94(36):12427-12434. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02241. Epub 2022 Aug 26.

Abstract

Here, we report a highly sensitive immunoassay for human immunoglobulin G (IgG) that uses signal amplification of the coagulation cascade. Z-Phe-Pro-Lys-p-nitroaniline (FPK-pNA) was used as a substrate for thrombin activation in the last step of the coagulation cascade. During the coagulation cascade, pNA is liberated from FPK-pNA and can be detected electrochemically. Using square wave voltammetry with a glassy carbon electrode, we demonstrated that pNA can be quantified in a solution modeling the coagulation cascade prepared by mixing FPK-pNA and pNA. Characterization of the reactivity of thrombin toward FPK-pNA revealed that thrombin efficiently reacted with FPK-pNA. Subsequent characterization of factor XIa activity of factor XIa-labeled antibody revealed that factor XIa was not inactivated during labeling. Finally, a coagulation cascade-based immunoassay for human IgG was performed using a factor XIa-labeled antibody on magnetic beads. The limit of detection for human IgG was 5.0 pg/mL (33 fM) indicating that the coagulation cascade can amplify the immunoassay sensitivity compared to immunoassay using a thrombin-labeled antibody as a condition without a coagulation cascade. Coagulation cascade-based immunoassay was also highly selective. In the near future, we will report a highly sensitive immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes using a coagulation cascade-based immunoassay and Limulus amebocyte lysate reaction-based immunoassay we previously reported.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood Coagulation*
  • Electrodes
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Thrombin*

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Thrombin