Microfluidic-Based Electrochemical Immunosensing of Ferritin

Ferritin is a clinically important biomarker which reflects the state of iron in the body and is directly involved with anemia. Current methods available for ferritin estimation are generally not portable or they do not provide a fast response. To combat these issues, an attempt was made for lab-on-a-chip-based electrochemical detection of ferritin, developed with an integrated electrochemically active screen-printed electrode (SPE), combining nanotechnology, microfluidics, and electrochemistry. The SPE surface was modified with amine-functionalized graphene oxide to facilitate the binding of ferritin antibodies on the electrode surface. The functionalized SPE was embedded in the microfluidic flow cell with a simple magnetic clamping mechanism to allow continuous electrochemical detection of ferritin. Ferritin detection was accomplished via cyclic voltammetry with a dynamic linear range from 7.81 to 500 ng·mL-1 and an LOD of 0.413 ng·mL-1. The sensor performance was verified with spiked human serum samples. Furthermore, the sensor was validated by comparing its response with the response of the conventional ELISA method. The current method of microfluidic flow cell-based electrochemical ferritin detection demonstrated promising sensitivity and selectivity. This confirmed the plausibility of using the reported technique in point-of-care testing applications at a much faster rate than conventional techniques

A CROSS-SECTIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE AND SERUM FERRITIN LEVELS WITH BODY MASS INDEX IN CHILDREN.

Objectives: The study aims to establish the correlation between serum adenosine deaminase and ferritin levels with somatometric measurements in children aged 6 to 14. Additionally, it sought to assess the association of these biochemical parameters with components of dysmetabolic syndrome, including blood pressure and lipid profile. Methods: The multicentric study, conducted over a 2-year period from Jan 2021 to Dec 2022 at a tertiary care centre, focused on children aged 6 to 14 attending the outpatient department for eyesight irregularities or immunization. A total of 120 children meeting specific inclusion criteria underwent meticulous anthropometric measurements, BMI calculation, and comprehensive biochemical assessments to correlate serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) as well as ferritin levels with various parameters. The biochemistry tests were performed at the Department of Biochemistry, Nalanda Medical College & Hospital, Patna. Results: In the study of 120 children (6-14 years), the overweight/obese group (n=60) showed higher weight (52.309 kg) compared to the normal weight group (n=60, 27.945 kg). Anthropometric measures, excluding common parameters, were significantly elevated in the obese cohort. Robust positive correlations were noted amongst systolic blood pressure, adenosine deaminase, and serum ferritin with BMI, and significant associations were noted between anthropometric measures and ferritin levels, with ADA showing significance only in systolic blood pressure and waist-hip ratio. Conclusion: The current study revealed significant associations between anthropometric measures, serum adenosine deaminase (ADA), and ferritin levels in children aged 6-14. These findings emphasize the interplay between obesity, inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular health in this paediatric population. Recommendation: The study recommends further research with larger samples to validate findings and emphasizes the importance of longitudinal studies to elucidate dynamic relationships between anthropometric measures, inflammatory markers, and metabolic outcomes in paediatric populations

Photocatalytic and antibacterial biomimetic ZnO nanoparticles

The synthesis of nanoscale materials has gained considerable attention due to their excellent properties in photocatalysis and also as antimicrobials. More recently, bio-reduction mediated synthesis of such nanostructures has emerged as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to traditional chemical synthesis. This study describes a strategy for extracellular bio-fabrication of highly stable ZnO nanoparticles from Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungus. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The obtained nanoparticles were then assessed for their antibacterial activity against E. Coli MTCC 1302. The photocatalytic performance of these nanoparticles was analyzed by reduction of model dye pollutant, i.e., 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). This study revealed excellent bactericidal and photocatalytic activity of bio-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. Finally, a potential mechanism for their photocatalytic property is proposed

Protective role of Brucella abortus specific murine antibodies in inhibiting systemic proliferation of virulent strain 544 in mice and guinea pig

Aim: The major objective of the investigation was to evaluate the hitherto uncharacterized potential of Brucella-specific antibodies to win the battle against virulent Brucella abortus infection. Materials and Methods: Brucella-specific immune serum was raised in mice. The antibody titer of serum was determined by standard tube agglutination test and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (iELISA). Groups of mice and guinea pigs were passively immunized with serum containing specific agglutinin titers. 24 h after immunization, all animals along with unimmunized controls were challenged with B. abortus S544. Total B. abortus S544 counts in the spleen of each animal collected on the 7th day of challenge was determined to evaluate the protective index (PI) of anti-Brucella serum by statistical analysis. Results: A dose-dependent protective response to immune mice serum was observed in both experimental models though the values of PI of mice were higher than those obtained for guinea pigs. The PI values in mice passively immunized with 50 IU or 25 IU antibodies were 1.38 and 0.69, respectively. In guinea pigs, however, animals passively immunized with 50 IU or 25 IU antibodies showed PI values equivalent to 0.79 and 0.41, respectively. Conclusion: The observations support our hypothesis that the presence of antibodies inhibits the initial multiplication and eventual colonization of systemic organs by B. abortus. Therefore, a predominant antibody-mediated response induced by a vaccine is expected to protect the animal against the most severe clinical outcome of infection

A long noncoding RNA–microRNA expression signature predicts metastatic signature in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

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