Actual Serum Research Articles

Dynamic light scattering immunosensor based on metal-organic framework mediated gold growth strategy for the ultra-sensitive detection of alpha-fetoprotein

The ultrasensitive detection of disease-related biomarkers is critical to improving the early diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases. Herein, we reported a dynamic light scattering (DLS)-based immunosensor for the high-sensitivity detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), an important biomarker in the early diagnosis of primary liver cancer. A metal–organic framework and gold nanoparticle composite ([email protected]) was designed as a low-background scattering signal probe. After its structure was decomposed in a weak alkaline solution, the numerous small-sized AuNPs (∼4 nm) were released from the MOF structure. Controllable gold in situ growth strategy without self-nucleation was then executed to increase the AuNP size. Owing to the double signal amplification of the burst release of numerous small-sized AuNPs from MOFs and the gold in situ growth for an enhanced AuNP size, the proposed DLS immunosensor was successfully applied for the ultrasensitive detection of AFP with the detection limit of 0.36 pg mL−1. The reliability of the proposed method was evaluated by analyzing 22 actual clinic serum samples, and the results were further verified by the chemiluminescence immunosensor. This work features [email protected] and the gold in situ growth amplified modulation of DLS-based signal transduction, which demonstrates the great potential as a novel bioanalytical platform for a myriad of purposes.

Generation of a nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion and its application in an enzyme cascade-amplified immunoassay for colorimetric detection of alpha fetoprotein in human serum

Sensitive detection of liver disease biomarkers can facilitate the diagnosis of primary hepatoma and other benign liver diseases, and the alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was selected as the model macromolecule in this work. Herein an enzyme cascade-amplified immunoassay (ECAIA) based on the nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion (Nb-ALP) and MnO2 nanoflakes was developed for detecting AFP. The bifunctional biological macromolecule Nb-ALP serves as the detection antibody and the reporter molecule. The MnO2 nanoflakes mimic the oxidase for catalyzing the 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into the blue oxidized TMB, which has a quantitative signal at the wavelength of 650 nm. Moreover, the Nb-ALP could dephosphorylate the ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AAP) to form the ascorbic acid (AA) that can disintegrate the nanoflakes to reduce their oxidation capacity with the content decrease of the oxidized TMB. Using the constructed TMB-MnO2 colorimetric sensing system for Nb-ALP and the optimized experimental parameters, the ECAIA has a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.148 ng/mL which is 18.7-fold lower than that of the p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP)-based method (LOD = 2.776 ng/mL). The ECAIA showed good selectivity for AFP with observed negligible cross-reactions with several common cancer biomarkers. The recovery rate for AFP spiked in human serum ranged from 94.8% to 113% with the relative standard deviation from 0.3% to 6.5%. For analysis of the actual human serum samples, a good linear correlation was found between the results tested by the ECAIA and the automatic chemiluminescence analyzer. Thus, the ECAIA was demonstrated to be a promising tool for highly sensitive and selective detection of AFP, providing a reference for analysis of other macromolecule biomarkers.

N-doped MoS2-nanoflowers as peroxidase-like nanozymes for total antioxidant capacity assay

Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) Assay plays an important role in evaluating the quality of antioxidant food and monitoring the oxidative stress level of human body. It is mainly achieved by measuring the contents of antioxidants such as AA, L-Cys and GSH, while TAC can be detected by using peroxidase-like activity of artificial nanoenzyme materials. In this work, the N-Doped, defect-rich N–MoS2NFs nano-materials were used to build the nano enzyme, which has strong stability and high peroxidase-like activity. H2O2 was detected because it can be catalyzed to generate the intermediate ·OH and make TMB appears blue. However, when H2O2, AA, L-Cys and GSH coexist in solution, due to the oxidation resistance of AA, L-Cys and GSH, they can competitively react with ·OH in solution or reduce TMB in oxidation state (oxTMB), which reduces the characteristic absorption of oxTMB, indirectly achieves the purpose of detecting AA, L-Cys and GSH, and finally realizes the determination of TAC, even in actual serum and saliva samples. At the same time, the N–MoS2 NFs/NH2-MIL-53(Al)+OPD system is further constructed. Based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between NH2-MIL-53(Al) and oxidized OPD (oxOPD), the purpose of detecting TAC by fluorescence method was realized.

Biocompatible sulfur nitrogen co-doped carbon quantum dots for highly sensitive and selective detection of dopamine

In this work, sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon quantum dots (S,N-CQDs) were prepared via one-pot hydrothermal treatment of EDTA disodium and sodium sulfide. The prepared S,N-CQDs were characterized by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectra to characterize their morphology, crystal structure, functional groups, elemental composition, and optical properties. It was found that S and N elements were successfully doped into the CQDs and the morphology was approximately spherical with an average particle size of 2.16 nm, in which the excitation/emission wavelengths were 350 and 420 nm, respectively. Compared with single element doped CQDs, double element doped CQDs have a higher quantum yield and excellent optical stability. Cell experiments showed that S,N-CQDs had good biocompatibility because they had no obvious toxicity on both normal cell lines and cancer cell lines. More importantly, based on the synergy of static quenching and dynamic quenching, the S,N-CQDs were used as effective fluorescent probes for sensitive detection of DA, with high anti-interference and low limit of detection. Based on the good biocompatibility of S,N-CQDs, the detection of dopamine in actual serum samples were carried out and the results showed an excellent recovery rate. Therefore, this work provides a dopamine sensor with a practical application prospect.

Molecule-Specific Terahertz Biosensors Based on an Aptamer Hydrogel-Functionalized Metamaterial for Sensitive Assays in Aqueous Environments.

Metamaterial-inspired terahertz (THz) biosensors are devoted to developing high-sensitivity and label-free biosensing strategies. However, most meaningful molecular signals are obscured by the strong THz absorption of solvent water. Most reported THz biosensors require the tested samples to be tediously dried or replaced with a low-absorption medium, which impairs the original bioactivity and the distribution homogeneity of targets. As described in this proposed strategy, a molecule-specific THz biosensor was fabricated from an aptamer hydrogel-functionalized THz metamaterial. Benefitting from the strong interaction with the localized electric field of the metamaterial, trace thrombin-induced variations in the hydration state of the hydrogel can be sensitively probed, which was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The optimized THz biosensor exhibited remarkable specificity for actual serum sample assays and excellent sensitivity, with a relatively low detection limit of 0.40 pM in the human serum matrix. The proposed strategy could serve as a model system to develop various molecule-specific THz biosensors for aqueous molecule sensing.

Aptamer-based novel Ag-coated magnetic recognition and SERS nanotags with interior nanogap biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of protein biomarker

• An innovative aptamer SERS biosensor for highly sensitive protein biomarker detection was presented. • The biosensor contains SERS tags and novel magnetic capture substrates. • Aptamers against CRP were modified on both SERS tag and magnetic capture substrate for specific recognition. • This method exhibits excellent selectivity and specificity and displays high accuracy in actual human serum samples. • This strategy can be extended to the detection of other biomarkers and hold great promise in the clinical diagnosis. The design of a rapid, simple, and ultrasensitive detection platform of protein biomarkers has become an urgent need in early diagnosis and treatment. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, with the unique advantages of ultra-sensitivity and fingerprint recognition, has attracted much attention in biomarker detection. An innovative aptamer SERS biosensor for highly sensitive protein biomarker detection was presented. This biosensor contains a SERS tag (reporter-labeled Au nano-bridged nanogaps particles, Au NNPs) and novel magnetic capture substrate (Ag-coated Fe 3 O 4 -Au NPs, Ag MNPs). C-reactive protein (CRP), a representative biomarker for diagnosing, was used to assess the SERS performance of this biosensor. Aptamers against CRP were modified on both SERS tag and magnetic capture substrate for specific recognition by Au NNPs-CRP-Ag MNPs sandwich assay. This strategy achieved sensitive detection of CRP with a limit of detection (LOD) of 10 fM (1.14 pg/mL), and is much lower than reported analytical methods. Besides, this method exhibits excellent selectivity and specificity for CRP under the interference of other proteins and displays high accuracy in the detection of actual human serum samples. This proposed detection strategy can be extended to the sensitive detection of other biomarker proteins and hold great promise in the clinical diagnosis of diseases.

A facile ratiometric electrochemical strategy for ultrasensitive monitoring HER2 using polydopamine-grafted-ferrocene/reduced graphene oxide, Au@Ag nanoshuttles and hollow Ni@PtNi yolk-shell nanocages

Abstract Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is believed as a clinically important breast cancer marker, and thereby it is extremely imperative to develop a highly sensitive and effective strategy for specific recognition and assay of HER2. In this work, a facile ratiometric electrochemical immunosensor was fabricated for sensitively monitoring HER2 as a model analyte, in which reduced graphene oxide-polydopamine-grafted-ferrocene/Au@Ag nanoshuttles (Au@Ag NSs) performed as electrode material and hollow Ni@PtNi yolk-shell nanocages-thionine (Ni@PtNi HNCs) as signal tags, which provided two distinct electrochemical signals from Fc and Thi, respectively. The Au@Ag NSs endowed the rGO-PDA-Fc with improved biocompatibility and dramatic magnification of the Fc signals upon sensing interface. Also, by integration of the hollow structure, enlarged specific surface area and superior catalytic ability together, the Ni@PtNi HNCs-Thi achieved substantial amplification in the detection signals from Thi. Benefiting from the above, the as-developed immunosensor exhibited a broad linear range (0.01 ∼ 100 ng mL–1) and a low detection limit (3.3 pg mL–1) for HER2 (S/N = 3), followed by exploring its application in actual serum samples with acceptable results. It holds great potential for clinical screening of cancer biomarkers and point of-care assays.

Evaluation of Actual Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (MSAFP) Levels in Placental Abruption and Associations with Adverse Outcomes

To evaluate the relationship between the actual maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) levels and maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes in patients diagnosed with placental abruption. This prospective case-control study included 40 patients who presented at the Perinatology Department between December 15, 2018, and September 01, 2019, were diagnosed with placental abruption and underwent cesarean section delivery at ≥ 34 weeks, and 41 healthy individuals without any additional systemic pathologies, who had a cesarean section under elective conditions. The patient demographic data, MSAFP levels, and maternal, fetal, and neonatal results were compared. Correlation analyses were applied between the MSAFP levels and demographic characteristics, birthweight, Apgar scores, and transfusion requirement in the group with placental abruption. MSAFP levels (ng/ml) were significantly higher in the group with placental abruption than in the healthy control group (299.1 ± 214 and 156.2 ± 52.3, p = 0.012). In the neonatal results, birthweight and 1st and 5th minutes Apgar scores were lower in the group with placental abruption than in the control group (p = 0.025 and p < 0.001). The neonatal intensive care unit admission rate was higher in the group with placental abruption than in the healthy control group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.002). A statistically significant, negative correlation was found between MSAFP and 1st and 5th minutes Apgar scores (r = − 0.526, r = − 0.522 and p < 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). The data obtained in this study suggest that MSAFP, which is a simple test, can be used in the clinical management of suspicious placental abruption or antepartum hemorrhage of unknown origin and the prediction of neonatal prognosis.

Ni/Fe layered double hydroxide nanosheet/G-quadruplex as a new complex DNAzyme with highly enhanced peroxidase-mimic activity.

A novel and low-cost DNAzyme, Ni/Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheet/G-quadruplex (without hemin) with enhanced peroxidase-mimic activity was designed. The catalytic mechanism was investigated. The detection of Cu(II) in actual serum samples could be realized sensitively via this efficient DNAzyme-based method.

Establishment the method for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans determination in human serum

To establish the determination method for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs) in human serum, and further to provide an operable and scientific determination protocal and basis for conducting human health risk assessment for PCDD/Fs. The serum samples were pretreated by C18 column solid phase extraction, acid silica gel column and activated carbon column purification, separated by DB-5 MS capillary column(60 m×0. 25 mm×0. 25 μm), and PCDD/Fs was quantitative analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry. The method detection limit was in the range of 0. 35-3. 26 pg/g lipid. This method was further validated using international serum standard reference material sample SRM 1958. According to the reference mass fraction values given for SRM 1958, the concentrations of 17 PCDD/Fs monomers were all in the range of reference mass fraction values, and the relative standard deviation was 2%-19%(n=3). This method was further applied to determination PCDD/Fs in actual serum of human body. The result showed that the recovery rate of isotope labeled PCDD/Fs internal standards were in the range of 61%-135%. The performance of the method is highly sensitive, stable and highly accurate, which meets the requirements for the determination of PCDD/Fs in human serum and the method can be applied to human health risk assessment for PCDD/Fs in the future.

A sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor based on Au@Pd nanodendrite functionalized MoO2 nanosheet for highly sensitive detection of HBsAg

In this work, a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor was fabricated to the effective detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The designed electrochemical immunosensor was based on Au core and Pd shell nanodendrites loaded on amino functionalized molybdenum dioxide nanosheets (Au@Pd NDS/NH2–MoO2 NSs) as the secondary antibody (Ab2) label and silver nanoparticles were loaded by electrodeposited (D-Ag NPs) on the surface of electrode as the platform. Because of the synergistic effect and abundant catalytic activity sites provided by surface dendrite structure, Au@Pd NDs were more effective than single gold and palladium nanoparticles in catalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). MoO2 had the good catalytic capacity for reduction of H2O2 and favourable electrical conductivity. Hence, the obtained Au@Pd NDS/NH2–MoO2 NSs were more effective than Au@Pd NDs and NH2–MoO2 NSs in catalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide attribute to a synergistic effect. Also, Ag NPs with admirable electrical conductivity and biocompatibility were used as sensing platforms and primary antibodies (Ab1) carriers, which can accelerate the electron transfer and improve the sensitivity of the immunosensor. Here, the proposed electrochemical immunosensor offered a wide linear interval from 10 fg mL−1 to 100 ng mL−1 and the lower limit of detection of 3.3 fg mL−1 (S/N = 3) for detection of HBsAg under optimal experimental conditions. Furthermore, the accuracy of the actual serum sample analysis was satisfactory, which showed that the electrochemical immunosensor possessed a good application prospect in clinical detection.

Detection of phospholipase A2 in serum based on LRET mechanism between upconversion nanoparticles and SYBR green I

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) may be a vital biomarker for the prediction and diagnosis of some diseases. Consequently, it is of great significance to quantitatively detect PLA2 in biologic samples. Herein, on the basis of the principle of luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) between upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and SYBR Green I (SG), we proposed a technology for the highly sensitive detection of PLA2 amount. Therein, as an energy receptor, SG will be quantitatively loaded into liposomes firstly. Then, due to the hydrolysis of liposomes under the catalysis of PLA2, SG will be released and inserted into the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) on the surface of UCNPs, which triggers the LRET because of the shortening of effective spatial distance between UCNPs and SG. Under exciting of NIR light, UCNPs emit luminescence at 476 nm, which makes SG emit fluorescence at 522 nm through LRET. Under optimal conditions, the emission intensity ratio (I522 nm/I476 nm) increased linearly with the PLA2 amount in the range of 20 U/L to 400 U/L, and the limit of detection (LOD) reached 15 U/L. Here, after comparing with the clinical standard method, it is found that the biosensor is expected to provide a convenient and sensitive assay for the detection of PLA2 in actual serum samples. Furthermore, such biosensor can also be used to test the inhibitor of PLA2.

Toxicokinetics and distribution in female rats after chronic nonylphenol exposure.

Our previous studies have shown that continuous exposure to nonylphenol (NP) may cause female reproductive toxicity even at low doses. To better understand this toxic effect, the aim of this study was to investigate the basic characteristics of the disposal kinetics of NP under a chronic exposure scenario to simulate human exposure. Female rats were exposed to NP at three dose levels (50-, 500-, and 10,000 µg kg-1 bw day-1, low, medium, and high dose, respectively) by gavage daily for 17 weeks. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect NP in rat sera and tissues. The results suggested that a two extravascular compartment model was found to better match the actual serum metabolic behavior of NP. Compared with the high-dose group, the NP absorption in the low-dose group was relatively efficient, the clearance rate was slower, and the residual amount of NP was greater. NP was found mostly in the uterus, adipose and brain tissues and to a lesser degree, in the liver, kidney, and ovary. The results indicated that the extensive organ distribution may cause corresponding toxicity even at relatively low doses.

Directly reusing waste fish scales for facile, large-scale and green extraction of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles and their application in sensing of ferric ions

Fluorescent nanomaterials have important applications in environmental monitoring and biomedicine and imaging. However, their preparation often is cumbersome, expensive, and extremely small-scale, requires harsh conditions, which limit their wide and practical applications. Herein, by directly reusing waste fish scales with intrinsic fluorescent property as precursors, we developed a facile, large-scale, inexpensive, and green method for extraction of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles for sensing of Fe3+. Our preparation approach only requires soaking fish scales in water without harsh conditions and complicated operations, only based on physical exfoliation, not limited by containers. Fish-scale-derived fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with bright blue fluorescence and a quantum yield of 15.6% are irregular spheres with a diameter of more than 60 nm, contained smaller nanodots with a diameter of about 4.2 nm, which has obvious lattice fringes of 0.23 nm. Elemental and functional group analysis confirmed that fluorescent carbon nanoparticles were mainly composed of C, O, and N, had hydroxyl, amine, and carbonyl groups, and similar in composition to collagens and hydroxyapatites. Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles can be used for fluorescent quenching-based detection of Fe3+ with a linear range of 0–6.25 μM and detection limit of 0.144 μM, and have good recoveries for Fe3+ in actual water samples and human serum with low relative standard deviations. This study not only adds a new dimension to provide a large-scale, simple, green, and promising method for reuse of waste fish scales, but also offers a new idea for the large-scale preparation and application of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials.

Associations between perfluoroalkyl substances and serum lipids in a Swedish adult population with contaminated drinking water

BackgroundExposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have shown positive associations with serum lipids in previous studies. While many studies on lipids investigated associations with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), there are only a few studies regarding other PFAS, such as perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). The purpose of the current study is to investigate if associations with serum lipids were present, not only for serum PFOS and PFOA, but also for PFHxS, and if the associations with PFAS remained also in a comparison based only on residency in areas with contrasting exposure to PFAS.Methods1945 adults aged 20–60 were included from Ronneby, Sweden, a municipality where one out of two waterworks had been heavily contaminated from aqueous fire-fighting foams, and from a nearby control area. The exposure was categorized based on either been living in areas with contrasting PFAS exposure or based on the actual serum PFAS measurements. Regression analyses of serum lipids were fitted against serum PFAS levels, percentile groups, smooth splines and between exposed and reference areas, adjusting for age, sex and BMI.ResultsDrinking water contamination caused high serum levels of PFOS (median 157 ng/ml) and PFHxS (median 136 ng/ml) and PFOA (median 8.6 ng/ml). These serum PFAS levels in the exposed groups were 5 to 100-fold higher than in the controls. In this population with mixed PFAS exposure, predominantly PFOS and PFHxS, PFAS exposure were positively associated with serum lipids. This was observed both when quantifying exposure as contrast between exposed and controls, and in terms of serum PFAS. Due to high correlations between each PFAS, we cannot separate them.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the present study provides further evidence of a causal association between PFAS and serum lipids, especially for PFHxS.

Synergistic amplification effect for electrochemiluminescence immunoassay based on dual coreactants coupling with resonance energy transfer

Sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) bioanalysis could be achieved by exploring the amplification principle or strategy. This work described the first proof-of-concept study for coupling dual coreactants (K2S2O8 and H2O2) with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) enhancement as an effective signal amplification strategy for ECL immunosensor. Specifically, AgNPs as an excellent conductor and nanocarriers were employed as the antibody (Ab2) immobilization film on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the subsequent sandwich-type immunoreaction between the target protein and antibody (Ab1)-g-C3N4 resulted in the ECL generation. On the one hand, due to the perfect overlap between the plasmon absorption spectrum of AgNPs and the ECL emission spectrum of g-C3N4, a plasmon-enhanced ECL phenomenon was proved in g–C3N4–AgNPs system result from high efficient energy transfer. On the other hand, it was validated that the ECL signal of the constructed biosensor was greatly strengthened by K2S2O8 and H2O2 as dual coreactants, which was ca. 3.5 and 7 times stronger than that of K2S2O8 or H2O2 as an individual coreactant, respectively. Consequently, this synergistic amplified ECL immunosensor performed well with great stability and repeatability for squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) detection in the range from 0.001 to 1000 ng mL−1. Considering the favorable analytical feedback in actual serum samples assay, this proposed method indicates a great potential for bioassay application.

New reductant-free synthesis of gold nanoparticles-doped chitosan-based semi-IPN nanogel: A robust nanoreactor for exclusively sensitive 5-fluorouracil sensor

We report a novel class of chitosan (CS)-based hybrid semi-interpenetrating nanogel catalyst by the reductant-free green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) within the CS-poly(methacrylic acid) (Au@CS-PMAA) polymer network. The covalently cross-linked Au@CS-PMAA nanogel with CS chains semi-interpenetrating (semi-IPN) in the PMAA cross-linked network show superior colloidal stability and improved catalytic activity. The synthesized Au@CS-PMAA semi-IPN nanogel was applied as a superior modifier to create a new and sorely selective electrochemical sensing platform for the determination of antileukemic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The existence of –OH and –COOH groups in the CS and PMAA offers numerous binding sites for 5-FU. This assures the incorporation of Au NPs which affords a larger surface area and ameliorate electrical conductivity. Besides, the synergic effect amid both compounds improves the detection of 5-FU. Under optimal conditions, the constructed sensor offered a good performance in determination of 5-FU with a wide linear range from 0.1–497 μM and low detection limits of 0.03 μM, respectively. Further, this study proved that the fabricated sensor could be useful for analysis of 5-FU in actual human blood serum samples.

Population pharmacokinetic analysis of weekly and biweekly IgPro20 (Hizentra®) dosing in patients with primary immunodeficiency

BackgroundIgPro20 (Hizentra®), a 20% subcutaneous immunoglobulin G (IgG), is an effective treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiencies with impaired IgG production. Flexible dosing regimens of IgPro20 have been supported by pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling and simulation. This study further describes the PK characteristics of serum IgG concentrations after weekly and biweekly administration of IgPro20 and compares predicted and actual serum IgG data using a previously-developed population PK (popPK) model. MethodsA popPK model was developed by combining data from a previously-published model with data from a Phase 4 study (IgPro20_4005). An external validation of the original model using dosing, demographics, and historic endogenous serum IgG concentrations from patients enrolled in study IgPro20_4005 was performed. This dataset was then simulated 300 times and predicted serum IgG PK characteristics compared with the observed data. ResultsA total of 173 patients (156 unique patients from original model and 17 patients from study IgPro20_4005) provided 4078 observations of serum IgG concentrations. The popPK estimates obtained demonstrated a clearance (% inter-individual variability) of 0.138 L/day (35%), volume of central compartment of 3.95 L (78.6%), inter-compartmental clearance of 0.260 L/day (56%), and volume of peripheral compartment of 4.44 L. Validation results indicated that observed serum IgG concentration vs time data fell within the 90% prediction intervals for median, 25th, and 75th percentiles of the simulated IgG concentration time courses. ConclusionsThe present analysis validated the ability of the previously published popPK model to predict serum IgG concentration time profiles after biweekly subcutaneous IgPro20 administration.

Safety of in-office laryngology procedures.

A wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic laryngology procedures are currently performed in an office setting. In-office laryngology procedures (IOLP) are increasingly seen as standard-of-care, and while generally considered safe, high-quality evidence supporting the latter statement is lacking. This review aims to summarize recent literature regarding the safety of IOLP. There is a paucity of guidelines and standardized protocols for IOLP. To date, there is one available safety protocol specific to in-office laser procedures. Haemodynamic changes during IOLP have been documented and the significance of these changes continues to be unclear. Therefore, monitoring of vital signs is recommended. Continuing antithrombotic therapy during IOLP also appears safe, and this decision may be left to surgeon discretion. A protocol for management of antithrombotic therapy prior to in-office laser procedures is available. Actual serum lidocaine levels following topical application of mixed lidocaine preparations falls well below reported toxic levels but persists for longer than previously reported. IOLP are safer that suspension laryngoscopy under general anaesthetic. Although complication rates of IOLP are low, patient characteristics and potential complications of both the procedure and of topical anaesthetic use must be considered. One must be prepared and equipped to deal with these potential complications.

Ultrasensitive “signal-on” electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for prostate-specific antigen detection based on novel nanoprobe and poly(indole-6-carboxylic acid)/flower-like Au nanocomposite

A novel “signal-on” electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor is constructed by using Au nanoparticle/graphene quantum dots-poly(etherimide)-graphene oxide (AuNP/GQDs-PEI-GO) composite as a probe to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA). GQDs and AuNP are modified onto the PEI-GO through amide bond and electrostatic interaction sequentially. Poly(indole-6-carboxylic acid)/flower-like Au nanoparticles (PICA/FGNs) composites with satisfactory conductivity are used as a good substrates for the immobilization of the primary antibody (Ab1). ECL signal of the fabricated ECL immunosensor is greatly amplified by the synergistic action of PICA, FGNs, AuNP, GQDs and PEI-GO. This designed ECL sensor greatly broadens the linear response range for PSA detection. The detection range is ranging from 0.001 ng mL−1 to 100 ng mL−1 and the detection limit is as low as 0.44 pg mL−1. In addition, this ECL immunosensor shows good stability, reproducibility, selectivity and good accuracy in actual human serum sample detection, indicating that this developed sensor has the prospect as a universal platform for detection of cancer biomarkers.