title: Simple and sensitive progesterone detection in human serum using a CdSe/ZnS quantum dot-based direct binding assay.
abstract: In this study, we developed a CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD)-based immunoassay for use in determining the presence of progesterone (P4) in human serum. Hydrophilic QDs were conjugated to anti-progesterone antibody (P4Ab) via ethyl-3-(dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as coupling reagents. After purification, the P4Ab-QD conjugates were immobilized onto the wells of a 96-well microtiter plate, and a direct-binding immunoassay based on the binding of P4 to immobilized P4Ab-QD conjugates had a detection limit of 0.21 ng/ml and a sensitivity of 1.37 ng/ml, with a linear range of 0.385 to 4.55 ng/ml. The proposed immunoassay was successfully used to determine the P4 concentration in real human serum, and the results showed a good correlation with the accredited radioimmunoassay (RIA).
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Biophotonics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Duk
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Biophotonics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Dinh
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Biophotonics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jirhee@jnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D002021:Buffers; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002138:Calibration; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D002021:Buffers; D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D011374:Progesterone; C058667:cadmium selenide
keywords: 96-Well microtiter plate; CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs); Direct binding immunoassay; Progesterone