Ultrasensitive multi-analyte electrochemical immunoassay based on GNR-modified heated screen-printed carbon electrodes and PS@PDA-metal labels for rapid detection of MMP-9 and IL-6

An ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay was developed for rapid detection of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9); the method utilized PS@PDA-metal nanocomposites based on graphene nanoribbon (GNR)-modified heated screen-printed carbon electrode (HSPCE). Because of the good hydrophilicity and low toxicity, GNRs were used to immobilize antibodies (Ab) and amplify the electrochemical signal. PS@PDA-metal was used to label antibodies and generate a strong electrochemical signal in acetic buffer. A sandwich strategy was adopted to achieve simultaneous detection of MMP-9 and IL-6 based on HSPCE without cross-talk between adjacent electrodes in the range of 10(-5) to 10(3) ng mL(-1) with detection limits of 5 fg mL(-1) and 0.1 pg mL(-1) (S/N=3), respectively. The proposed method showed wide detection range, low detection limit, acceptable stability and good reproducibility. Satisfactory results were also obtained in the practical samples, thus showing this is a promising technique for simultaneous clinical detection of biocomponent proteins. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.