Point of Care Test Technology Suitable for Early Detection and Monitoring of Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in adulthood worldwide. A simple and convenient diagnostic method is needed for monitoring high-risk patients for stroke. Few POCTs are available for stroke diagnosis. Soluble blood P-selectin is known as a biomarker for platelet aggregation. Increased expression of P-selectin is observed in coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Objective: A simple method that can measure the increased expression of P-selectin in stroke patients is intended to be used for diagnosis or early detection and hospital monitoring of ischemic stroke. Method: Plasma proteins in blood were separated using a three-layered filter system. Quantum dot and antibody were conjugated to detect biomarkers present in plasma and then measured with a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Results: The detection limit of soluble P-selectin confirmed by immunoassay was 1 ng/ul. In order to increase the sensitivity and simplify the reaction, the detection limit was measured to evaluate the sensitivity of the quantum dot labeled anti P-selectin antibody. As a result, P-selectin of 5 ng/ul or more showed saturation signal intensity, indicating the upper limit of detection, and 10 pg/ul was the lower limit of detection. Conclusion: In this study, we proposed a three-layer filter membrane system that can separate biomarker- rich fractions from whole blood, simplifying the analysis process and improving sensitivity by using quantum dot-labeled antibodies to detect biomarkers. We hope that our system complements the advantages of POCT and can be applied to real clinical applications.