Electrochemiluminescent disposable cholesterol biosensor based on avidin-biotin assembling with the electroformed luminescent conducting polymer poly(luminol-biotinylated pyrrole).

An electrochemiluminescent cholesterol disposable biosensor has been prepared by the formation of assembled layers on gold screen-printed cells. The detection layer is based on the electro-formation of new luminol copolymers with different synthesized biotinylated pyrroles prepared by click-chemistry, offering a new transduction layer with new electroluminescent properties on biosensors. The electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminol copolymers are electroformed by cyclic voltammetry (five cycles) at pH 7.0 uses a10(-3)M biotinylated pyrrole-luminol ratio of 1:10 in PBS buffer. With respect to the recognition layer, cholesterol oxidase was biotinylated by incubation with biotin vinyl sulfone, and immobilized on the copolymer by avidin-biotin interaction. The analytical signal of the biosensor is the ECL enzymatic initial rate working in chronoamperometric mode at 0.5V excitation potential with 10s between pulses at pH 9.5. The disposable device offers a cholesterol linear range from 1.5×10(-5)M to 8.0×10(-4)M with a limit of detection of 1.47×10(-5)M and accuracy of 7.9% for 9.0×10(-5)M and 14.1% for 2.0×10(-4)M, (n=5). Satisfactory results were obtained for cholesterol determination in serum samples compared to a reference procedure.

SPE biosensor for cholesterol in serum samples based on electrochemiluminescent luminol copolymer.

A poly(luminol-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine) copolymer manufactured by electropolymerization on screen-printed gold electrodes greatly improves the electrochemiluminescence of hydrogen peroxide. Cholesterol oxidase was immobilized on the surface of a poly(luminol-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine) screen-printed cell modified with chitosan to prepare an ECL biosensor for cholesterol. Working under the optimized conditions, the linear dynamic range of cholesterol was 2.4 × 10(-5)-1.0 × 10(-3)M with a limit of detection of 7.3 × 10(-6)M and a precision of 10.3% (5.0 × 10(-4)M, n=5) expressed as relative standard deviation. This biosensor was applied to the determination of total cholesterol in serum samples obtaining satisfactory results with respect to the reference procedure. This cholesterol biosensor offers an alternative analytical method with low cost and high speed.

Disposable luminol copolymer-based biosensor for uric acid in urine.

A new electrochemiluminescent (ECL) disposable biosensor for uric acid was manufactured by immobilization in a double-layer design of luminol as a copolymer with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and the enzyme uricase in chitosan on gold screen-printed cells. The good mechanical and improved electroluminescent characteristics of the new copolymer poly(luminol-TMB) make it possible to determine uric acid by measuring the growing ECL emission with the analyte concentration. The combination of enzymatic selectivity with ECL sensitivity results in a disposable analytical device with a linear range for uric acid from 1.5×10(-6) to 1.0×10(-4) M, a limit of detection of 4.4×10(-7) M and a precision of 13.1% (1.0×10(-5) M, n=10) as relative standard deviation. Satisfactory results were obtained for uric acid determination in 24h-urine samples compared to a reference procedure. This uric acid biosensor can be used as a low-cost alternative to conventional methods.

Copolymerization of luminol on screen-printed cells for single-use electrochemiluminescent sensors.

An efficient electrochemiluminescent (ECL) single-use sensor for H(2)O(2) is presented based on an electropolymerized film prepared on screen-printed gold electrode (gold SPE). A study of the copolymerization of luminol in the presence of different monomers was carried out. The polymeric films were grown potentiodynamically with a potential interval between -0.2 and 1.0 V in 0.2 M H(2)SO(4) and were characterized by their electrochemical, electrochemiluminescent, and superficial features. The polymer with the most efficient growth and ECL emission was poly(luminol-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine) at 1:5 ratio. These prepared SPE cells present good mechanical and photoemissive properties. A semi-logarithmic linearization shows a noticeable four decade-width concentration range with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.6 × 10(-9) M and a precision of 10.2% (n = 5; as relative standard deviation, RSD) in the medium range level. The described SPE ECL sensors will be useful for the determination of oxidase substrates in ECL single-use biosensors.

Disposable electrochemiluminescent biosensor for lactate determination in saliva.

An electrochemiluminescence-based disposable biosensor for lactate is characterized. The lactate recognition system is based on lactate oxidase (LOx) and the transduction system consists of luminol. All the needed reagents, luminol, LOx, BSA, electrolyte and buffer have been immobilized by a Methocel membrane placed on the working electrode of the screen-printed electrochemical cell. The measurement of the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is made possible via a photocounting head when 50 microl of sample is placed into the screen-printed cell with a circular container containing the disposable sensing membrane. The compositions of the membrane and reaction conditions have been optimized to obtain adequate sensitivity. The disposable biosensor responds to lactate after 20 s when two 1 s pulses at 0.5 V are applied to obtain the analytical parameter, the ECL initial rate. The linearized double logarithmic dependence for lactate shows a dynamic range from 10(-5) to 5 x 10(-4) M with a detection limit of 5 x 10(-6) M and a sensor-to-sensor repeatability, as relative standard deviation, RSD, of 3.30% at the medium level of the range. The ECL disposable biosensor was applied to the analysis of lactate in human saliva as an alternative procedure for obtaining the lactate level in a non-invasive way. Interferences coming from components of saliva were studied and eliminated in a simple way that was easy to handle. The procedure was validated for use in human saliva, comparing the results against an enzymatic reference procedure. The proposed method is quick, inexpensive, selective and sensitive and uses conventional ECL instrumentation.

One-shot lactate chemiluminescent biosensor.

A new chemiluminescence-based one-shot biosensor for lactate is described. The lactate recognition system is based on lactate oxidase (LOx) and the transduction system consists of luminol, peroxidase from Arthromyces ramosus (ARP) and metallic aluminum, all immobilized in a polyion complex membrane. The measurement of the chemiluminescence in a luminometer when 1 mL of sample is injected into a conventional cell containing the disposable sensing membrane makes it possible to determine lactate. The compositions of the membrane and reaction conditions have been optimized to obtain adequate sensitivity. The one-shot biosensor responds to lactate rapidly, with the typical CL acquisition time being 2 min, with a linearized logarithmic dependence whose dynamic range was from 5 x 10(-5) to 4 x 10(-3) with a detection limit of 9.2 x 10(-6)M and a sensor-to-sensor reproducibility (relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) of 5.5% at the medium level of the range. The performance of the chemiluminescent one-shot biosensor was tested for the analysis of lactate in yoghurt, validating the results against an enzymatic reference procedure. The proposed method is quick, inexpensive and sensitive and uses conventional CL instrumentation.

Doppler US in patients with crohn disease: vessel density in the diseased bowel reflects disease activity.

PURPOSE: To determine if neovascularization associated with Crohn disease, as detected with Doppler ultrasonography (US), reflects clinical disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A devised measurement, vessel density, was estimated with color Doppler US. Patients with Crohn disease underwent clinical and laboratory assessment in which the Crohn disease activity index was measured; patients underwent abdominal US the same week. Color Doppler US was performed by using a 7.5-10.0- or 8.0-12.0-MHz transducer, the lowest possible pulse repetition frequency without aliasing, a low wall filter, and high Doppler gain settings. The length and thickness of the affected loops were measured, and the number of color Doppler signals per square centimeter in the bowel loop was counted. Pulsed Doppler US was used to confirm that the signals originated from arteries or veins and not from movement artifacts. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients (aged 7-20 years; mean, 14.85 years; 44 female, 48 male) underwent 119 examinations; 85 were performed in patients with active disease. Affected loops were thicker (10.6 vs 4. 6 mm; P: <.001) and had a higher vessel density with disease (69 of 119 examinations) than during remission (two of 34 examinations; P: <.001). CONCLUSION: Vessel density in affected bowel loops, as estimated with Doppler US, and bowel wall thickness (>5 mm) reflect disease activity in patients with Crohn disease.

Chemiluminescence determination of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate by flow injection analysis using cerium(IV) sensitized by quinine.

A flow injection method with chemiluminescence (CL) detection is proposed for the determination of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (MESNA), a drug often used to reduce the urotoxic effects of antineoplastic alkylating agents. The procedure is based on the reaction of the thiol with Ce(IV) in a sulfuric acid medium and measurement of the CL intensity produced by quinine used as a sensitizer. The optimum conditions for CL emission were investigated. Using the CL peak height as the analytical parameter, MESNA was determined over the concentration range 0.29-2.21 ng (1.97-9.85 mug.l(-1)) with a detection limit of 0.21 ng (1.38 mug.l(-1)) and a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 4.1%. The method was applied satisfactorily to the determination of MESNA in pharmaceutical preparations with percentages of recovery between 94 and 105.

Liver transplantation: review of the literature. Part 2: Vascular and biliary complications.

The first attempted human orthotopic liver transplantation, in 1963, involved a child with biliary atresia, who died on the operating table as a result of uncontrollable coagulopathy. Improvements in immunosuppression, surgical technique, medical imaging and postoperative care, as well as more stringent patient selection, have allowed the development of liver transplantation and its universal acceptance as the treatment for a variety of liver diseases. The radiologist plays a major role in the multidisciplinary transplantation team and must be familiar with each stage of orthotopic liver transplantation and its associated complications. In the first article of this series (Can Assoc Radiol J 1997;48[3]:171-178), the authors reviewed the anatomic features and current concepts relevant to orthotopic topic liver transplantation. In this, the second article, they discuss the vascular and biliary complications of the operation, and the third article will cover the medical complications.

Liver transplantation: review of the literature. Part 1: Anatomic features and current concepts.

The first attempted human orthotopic liver transplantation, in 1963, involved a child with biliary atresia, who died on the operating table as a result of uncontrollable coagulopathy. Improvements in immunosuppression, surgical technique, medical imaging and postoperative care, as well as more stringent patient selection, have allowed the development of liver transplantation and its universal acceptance as the treatment for a variety of liver diseases. The radiologist plays a major role in the multidisciplinary transplantation team and must be familiar with each stage of orthotopic liver transplantation and its associated complications. In the first article of this series, the author reviews the anatomic features and current concepts relevant to orthotopic liver transplantation. Future articles will discuss the vascular, biliary and medical complications of the operation.

Liver transplantation: review of the literature. Part 3: Medical complications.

The first attempted human orthotopic liver transplantation, in 1963, involved a child with biliary atresia, who died on the operating table as a result of uncontrollable coagulopathy. Improvements in immunosuppression, surgical technique, medical imaging and postoperative care, as well as more stringent patient selection, have allowed the development of liver transplantation and its universal acceptance as the treatment for a variety of liver diseases. The radiologist plays a major role in the multidisciplinary transplantation team and must be familiar with each stage of orthotopic liver transplantation and its associated complications. In the first article of this series (Can Assoc Radiol J 1997;48[3]: 171-178), the authors reviewed the anatomic features and current concepts relevant to orthotopic liver transplantation. In the second article (Can Assoc Radiol J 1997;48[4]: 231-242), they discussed the vascular and biliary complications of the operation. This, the third and final article in the series, covers the medical complications.

Fetal congenital diaphragmatic hernia: accuracy of sonography in the diagnosis and prediction of the outcome after birth.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal sonography in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and assessed sonographic predictors of postnatal outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sonograms and medical records of 43 fetuses with CDH were retrospectively reviewed. Sonographic features were correlated to clinical evolution and surgical and pathologic findings. RESULTS: CDH was diagnosed prenatally with sonography in 40 cases. Intrathoracic stomach and liver were routinely identified. Ipsilateral lung tissue could not be differentiated from herniated content. Contralateral lung was identified in all cases except two. The overall survival rate was 43% after excluding terminated pregnancies. Besides associated malformations and chromosomal anomalies, the only statistically significant predictor of survival was the quantification of the contralateral lung area at the level of an axial four-chamber view: The survival rate was 86% when the contralateral lung area was equal to or greater than one half the area of the hemithorax. CONCLUSION: Sonography is highly accurate for prenatal diagnosis od CDH. Sonography also assists the prognostication of postnatal outcome in isolated CDH by allowing quantification of the contralateral lung area on a four-chamber view.