The bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Given the limitations of existing diagnostic tests and the severity of the illness associated with the disease, there is a clear requirement for a rapid and specific diagnostic assay. This thesis describes the development of nanoparticle based tests for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis specific cell surface markers. As an initial target antigen, a recombinant form of highly conserved outer membrane protein, OMP85 was used. Within the OMP85 protein sequence, a predicted antigenic sequence between residues 720 and 745 was identified and found to be unique to this organism. This amino acid sequence was synthesised as peptide (SR1) with a gly-gly-cysteine spacer sequence at the N-terminus using t-boc chemistry. Also, the major virulence factor, capsular polysaccharide of N. meningitidis serogroup B bacteria was purified. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against purified OMP85 antigen in rabbits and against SR1 peptide and also against formalin inactivated N. meningitidis serogroup B whole cell bacteria in sheep. This panel of different antibodies including the commercial anti-capsular monoclonal antibodies were examined for cross reactivity against a range of closely related Gram negative bacteria. Based on these cross-reactivity studies, a highly specific anti-NM antibody was developed following purification of the anti-SR1 antiserum by immuno-affinity chromatography. Purified OMP85 antigen and anti-OMP85 antibody were successfully conjugated on 13, 30, 40, 50 and 60 nm gold nanoparticles by an electrostatic adsorption method. Coupling of the gold nanoparticles results in a shift of the respective surface plasmon peak toward longer wavelengths (in the range of 600-800 nm) resulting in a change of the colour of the colloidal suspension from red to purple to blue. An attempt was made to develop a rapid diagnostic assay based on gold nanoparticle induced colour shift assay for N. meningitidis by utilising the specific interaction of OMP85 and anti-OMP85 antibody conjugated to gold nanoparticles as a model system. However, this system was not reproducible and is likely to be due to problems with stability of gold nanoparticles during the conjugation process. As an alternative approach, a highly selective quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based immunosensor was designed using the same OMP85/anti-OMP85 antibody system. A method was developed using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coated QCM crystals with protein A for the directional orientation of the antibodies. To further enhance the sensitivity of the test, OMP85-conjugated gold nanoparticles were used as signal amplification probes for the reproducible detection of the target down to 300 ng/mL, corresponding to a five fold increase in sensitivity compared to detection of OMP85 antigen alone. Also, this sensor has successfully been employed to detect whole cell bacteria at a concentration as low as 100 cfu/mL. Thus, in this study using the real-time QCM measurements, a novel strategy has been developed for the sensitive detection of both N. meningitidis bacteria and the protein antigen at very low concentrations, using gold nanoparticles as signal amplification probes.

Weak affinity interaction of monoclonal antibodies and carbohydrate antigens can be detected and quantified by alterations in the antibodies' intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. These weak/transient binding events have been monitored by total internal reflection fluorescence (TlRF) by facilitating the change in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. This immunosensor followed instant changes in the antigen concentration with rapid association- and dissociation rate constants reaching equilibrium in a short time, without the need for regeneration. Furthermore, in a competition assay with extrinsic fluorescence labeling, it was established that Förster/fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can be applied for weak and transient interactions. By entrapping components in small semipermeable capsules, aconvenient flow system was fabricated allowing on-line measurements of maltose. Quantification of maltose concentration was achievable in the mM-range without need for regeneration.High specificty for maltose was exhibited in crude food-samples with quantification in accordance with batch analysis. Furthermore, a monoclonal antibody was developed for potential use as a glucose immunosensor for diabetes. Its ability to interact with glucose was determined by competitive weak affinity chromatography (WAC) to approximately 19 mM in dissociation constant. This antibody was developed to bind monosaccharides, especially glucose, by utilizing crossreation with a carbohydrate dextran polymer. Selectivity for glucose was greater than for the similar monosaccharides, mannose and galactose. This antibody, or a fragment, in a fluorescence platform is an alternative to monitor glucose in vivo where other glucose-binders might fail. / Att känna igen en motståndare är viktigt i många sammanhang, inte minst i kroppens immunförsvar som är utvecklat för att angripa främmande ämnen i kroppen. Antikroppen spelar en central roll i immunförsvaret där den lär sig att känna igen sin motståndare (antigen) och därmed binda sitt antigen. De antikroppsproducerande cellerna kan användas i laboratoriet för att producera antikroppar som härstammar från försöksdjur. I denna avhandling har antikroppar använts som binder betydligt svagare till antigenet än vad man i de flesta analyser använder sig av för att t.ex. detektera sjukdomar. Antikroppar som binder till olika typer av socker, däribland maltsocker (maltos) och blodsocker (glukos) har studerats. Dessa antikroppar har använts för att undersöka hur hårt de binder till sitt antigen beroende på temperatur och om antikropparna kan känna igen liknande motståndare (korsreaktivitet). Fördelen med dessa svaga bindningar är att antikroppen snabbt kan binda in och släppa sitt antigen istället för att nästan permanent sitta på sitt antigen, som vid starka bindningar. Bindningens styrka (affinitet) har i avhandlingen studerats med hjälp av fluorescensteknik och affinitets-separation. Den maltosbindande antikroppen har använts tillsammans med fluorescensteknik för att designa två olika biosensorer (immunosensorer). Immunosensorerna kan mäta förändringen av maltoskoncentration över tid, vilket är attraktivt i t.ex. livsmedelsindustrin när man vill mäta maltoshalten kontinuerligt under tillverkningen. Den glukosbindande antikroppen har använts i affinitets-separation för att bestämma dess affinitet mot glukos och olika polymerer av glukos. En glukosbindande antikropp är åtråvärt för att t.ex. kontinuerligt mäta koncentrationen av blodsocker genom huden hos diabetiker och därmed minska antalet blodprover man idag behöver ta.

Submitted by Jos? Henrique Henrique (jose.neves@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2017-07-31T19:16:12Z No. of bitstreams: 2 thiago_coimbra_pimenta.pdf: 3361101 bytes, checksum: 026e379b14e8e90fdfd54a1c94b5e25d (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2017-08-14T15:21:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) thiago_coimbra_pimenta.pdf: 3361101 bytes, checksum: 026e379b14e8e90fdfd54a1c94b5e25d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-14T15:21:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) thiago_coimbra_pimenta.pdf: 3361101 bytes, checksum: 026e379b14e8e90fdfd54a1c94b5e25d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / A Dengue ? uma doen?a infecciosa viral de transmiss?o vetorial pelo mosquito Aedes aegypti, cujo controle tem se mostrado de solu??o complexa. Al?m disso, o diagn?stico cl?nico ? dif?cil de ser realizado, principalmente na fase aguda da doen?a, em que os sintomas s?o muito similares aos de outras infec??es febris agudas, e por essa raz?o o desenvolvimento de m?todos de detec??o mais efetivos para o seu controle, ganha relev?ncia. M?todos moleculares est?o sendo cada vez mais utilizados para o diagn?stico precoce por serem mais r?pidos e sens?veis. Nesse sentido, o uso de biossensores ganha relev?ncia por serem dispositivos vers?teis, de f?cil constru??o e utiliza??o, sens?veis e seletivos. Combinado com o uso de pol?meros modificadores da superf?cie transdutora, o que favorece a etapa de imobiliza??o das biomol?culas, os biodispositivos assim constru?dos se mostram mais sens?veis devido ? compatibilidade das caracter?sticas do elemento biol?gico e do filme polim?rico. Desta forma, este trabalho visou desenvolver um imunossensor impedim?trico para diagn?stico de Dengue utilizando eletrodos impressos de grafite (EI) funcionalizados com filmes polim?ricos derivados do ?cido 4-aminofenilac?tico (4-AFA). O imunossensor baseou-se na intera??o espec?fica entre o ant?geno da Dengue, a prote?na NS1, e os anticorpos anti-NS1. No estudo de caracteriza??o por voltametria c?clica (VC) da plataforma funcionalizada, observou-se que o filme polim?rico formado apresentou dois picos de oxida??o em +0,17 e +0,35 V em meio de solu??o de ?cido sulf?rico 0,50 M, o que mostra sua adsor??o e eletroatividade na superf?cie do eletrodo. Medidas de espectroscopia de imped?ncia eletroqu?mica (EIE) mostraram maior resist?ncia ? transfer?ncia eletr?nica do EI modificado com o filme polim?rico quando comparado ao EI sem modifica??o, corroborando o estudo anterior. Para o estudo de melhor concentra??o de NS1 para imobiliza??o, verificou-se que 1,00 ng/mL apresentou melhor sinal anal?tico, devido ? diminui??o nas intera??es que ocorre entre os ant?genos. O tempo de imunorrea??o entre ant?geno (Ag) e anticorpo (Ac) tamb?m foi estudado, no qual observou-se que o tempo ideal para que ocorra a imunocomplexa??o foi de 20 minutos. Em seguida, foi realizado estudo de dilui??o dos soros positivos e negativos por EIE, no qual foi poss?vel observar, para o soro positivo, que quanto mais dilu?do o soro maior foi o valor de Rct encontrado. O soro negativo tamb?m apresentou sinal anal?tico, provavelmente devido ? presen?a de anticorpos n?o espec?ficos, por?m, o sinal gerado apresentou valores mais pr?ximos do sinal da NS1, mostrando a seletividade da plataforma proposta. O estudo foi repetido em eletrodo sem modifica??o a fim de verifica a import?ncia do filme polim?rico na constru??o do biossensor. Observou-se que quando a NS1 ? imobilizada ao eletrodo n?o modificado, o Rct aumento muito pouco quando comparado ao eletrodo modificado com o filme derivado do 4-AFA, o que mostra a efici?ncia e sensibilidade da plataforma proposta. / Disserta??o (Mestrado) ? Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Qu?mica, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 2017. / Dengue is a viral infectious disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, whose control has shown a complex solution. In addition, the clinical diagnosis is difficult to perform, especially in the acute phase of the disease, in which the symptoms are very similar to other acute febrile infections, and for this reason the development of more effective detection methods for its control gains relevance. Molecular methods are being increasingly used for early diagnosis because they are faster and more sensitive. In this sense, the use of biosensors gains relevance because they are versatile devices, of easy construction and use, sensitive and selective. Combined with the use of transducing surface modifying polymers, which favors a stage of immobilization of the biomolecules, the biodevices constructed in this way are more sensitive due to the compatibility of the biological element characteristics and the polymer film. Thus, this work aimed to develop an impedimetric immunosensor to Dengue diagnose using screen-printed electrode (SPE) functionalized with polymer films derived from 4-aminophenylacetic acid (4-APA). The immunosensor was based on the specific interaction between Dengue antigen, NS1 protein, and anti-NS1 antibodies, IgG e IgM. In characterization study by cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the functionalized platform, it has been observed that the polymer film shown two oxidation peaks in +0.17 and +0.35 V in 0,5 M sulfuric acid solution medium, which shows its adsorption and electroactivity at the SPE surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements has shown a higher charge transfer resistance to the polymer film modified SPE when compared to the non-modified SPE, corroborating the previous study. For the study of NS1 best concentration to immobilization, it has been verified that 1,00 ng/mL presented better analytical signal, due to the decrease of the interactions that occur between the antigens. Immunoreaction time between antigens (Ag) and antibody (Ab) has also been studied, in which it has been observed that the ideal time for immunocomplexation was 20 minutes. Afterwards, a positive and negative sera dilution study was carried out by EIE, in which it has been possible to observe, for the positive serum, that the more diluted the serum the greater the Rct found. The negative serum also presented analytical signal, probably due to the presence of non-specific antibodies, however, the generated signal presented values closer to the NS1 signal, showing the selectivity of the proposed platform. The study was repeated in electrode without modification in order to verify the importance of the polymeric film in the biosensor construction. It was observed that when NS1 is immobilized to the non-modified electrode, Rct increases very little when compared to the 4-AFA derived film modified electrode, which shows the efficiency and sensitivity of the proposed platform.

Ce mémoire est consacré au développement d'un immunocapteur impédancemétrique et de deux biopiles enzymatiques. Premièrement, le poly(pyrrole-NHS) est utilisé pour l'immobilisation successive d'un modèle de la ciprofloxacine (CF) et de l'anticorps dirigé spécifiquement contre CF. La détection est réalisée par la spectroscopie d'impédance électrochimique. Elle détecte le déplacement en solution de l'anticorps. Le seuil de détection est de 1.10-12 g.mL-1. Deuxièmement, la production énergétique est abordée suivant deux approches. La première se base sur l'apparition d'un gradient de pH produit par deux enzymes (la GOx et l'uréase) et converti en f.e.m. en utilisant un couple rédox sensible au pH. La seconde, repose sur les propriétés biocatalytiques de la GOx d'oxyder le glucose et de la polyphénol oxydase de réduire le dioxygène. Cette pile est capable de fonctionner aussi bien in vitro que in vivo. Une fois optimisée, la pile affiche une f.e.m. de 315 mV et une puissance de 27 μW. / This work is focused on the development of an impedimetric immunosensor and two enzymatic biofuel cells. Firstly, poly(pyrrole-NHS) is used to graft a model of the ciprofloxacin antibiotic (CF) and its specific antibody (Ab) in two steps. The displacement of the antibody in solution directed by a strong affinity between Ab and CF is monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The detection limit is 10-12 g mL-1. Secondly, production of electricity is studied by two different methods. The first one is based on the creation of a pH difference driven enzymatically by glucose oxidase (GOx) and urease. This pH gradient is converted to e.m.f. by adding a pH-dependant redox couple. The second method uses glucose/O2 fu

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-09-01T12:21:37Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSETAÇAO_DEPOSITO.pdf: 1662534 bytes, checksum: 6bdb1ae293f1a65771c195438f64d3f0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-01T12:21:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSETAÇAO_DEPOSITO.pdf: 1662534 bytes, checksum: 6bdb1ae293f1a65771c195438f64d3f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-09 / CAPEs / A artrite reumatóide (AR) é uma doença crônico-degenerativa, sistêmica, auto-imune. Atualmente, o anticorpo antipeptídeo citrulinado cíclico (Anti-PCC) é considerado o marcador mais importante para o diagnóstico preditivo e prognóstico da AR. Neste trabalho, desenvolveu-se um imunossensor eletroquímico para detecção do Anti-PCC, a partir da modificação da superfície de um eletrodo de carbono vítreo com nanocompósito de óxido de grafeno reduzido-polissulfona (Gor-PSF) o qual apresenta boas características de aumento da área eletrocatalítica e imobilização de moléculas biológicas. Foram realizados capturas de imagens micrográficas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura da superfície do eletrodo de trabalho antes e após sua modificação, pelas quais foi possível comprovar uma superfície lisa não modificada sem estruturas adsorvidas após limpeza física, e que a superfície modificada com Gor-PSF apresentou um recobrimento ideal de toda a superfície com a presença de uma estrutura esponjosa comprovando a modificação da área de trabalho. Para captura do Anti-PCC, antígenos citrulina (CCP-Ag) foram imobilizados sobre a superfície eletródica do nanocompósito por provável ligação covalente entre os grupos amino e carboxilícos presentes no CCP-Ag e no óxido de grafeno reduzido, respectivamente. A técnica de voltametria de onda quadrada (VOQ) foi empregada para detecção do Anti-PCC, produzindo um imunossensor livre de marcação. Observou-se que o GOR-PSF foi capaz de aumentar a corrente de pico anódico (Ipa) 2,2 vezes mais, comparado com o controle (sem GOR-PSF) demonstrando que o filme proporcionou melhor capacidade eletrocatalítica, sendo também estável (coeficiente de variação da corrente < 1 %) avaliado por submeter o eletrodo a 20 ciclos consecutivos de voltametria cíclica. O imunossensor proposto apresentou uma boa linearidade com r=0,983 (p<0.003; n = 5) e limite de detecção de 0,004 ng/mL de Anti-PCC. A plataforma sensora demonstrou propriedades desejáveis de estabilidade, sensibilidade e reprodutibilidade na detecção de Anti-PCC com perspectivas de desenvolvimento de dispositivos “point-of-care”. / Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic degenerative disease, systemic, autoimmune. Currently, the cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) is considered the most important predictive marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of RA. In this work, we developed an electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of anti-CCP, from the surface modification of a glassy carbon electrode with nanocomposite reduced-polysulfone graphene oxide (GOr-PSU) which has good rise characteristics of electrocatalytic area and immobilization of biological molecules. of micrographic images catches were performed by scanning electron microscopy of the surface of the working electrode before and after modification, by which it was possible to establish a smooth unmodified without adsorbed structures after physical cleaning, and that the modified surface with GOr-PSU presented an ideal coating the entire surface with the presence of a spongy structure confirming the modification of the work area. For capture of anti-CCP, citrulline antigens (Ag-CCP) were immobilized on the electrode surface of the nanocomposite probably due to covalent bond between the amino and carboxylic groups present in the CCP-Ag and the reduced graphene oxide, respectively. Square wave voltammetry technique (VOQ) was used for detection of anti-CCP producing a marking-free immunosensor. It was observed that the GOR-PSU was capable of increasing the anodic peak current (IPA) 2.2 times as compared with the control (without GOr-PSU) demonstrating that the electrocatalytic film provided better capacity also being stable (coefficient the variation of the current <1%) evaluated by subjecting the electrode 20 consecutive cycles of cyclic voltammetry. The proposed immunosensor exhibited good linearity with r = 0.983 (p <0.003; n = 5) and a detection limit of 0.004 ng / ml anti-CCP. The sensing platform demonstrated desirable properties of stability, sensitivity and reproducibility in the Anti-CCP detection with prospects of development of devices "point-of-care."

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-02-13T14:07:28Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) tese completa corrigida_junho (2016).pdf: 2219391 bytes, checksum: 7ac2338dbd07d9a53a3344311f51b5ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-13T14:07:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) tese completa corrigida_junho (2016).pdf: 2219391 bytes, checksum: 7ac2338dbd07d9a53a3344311f51b5ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-05-26 / A artrite reumatóide (AR), é uma doença crônica inflamatória, em cuja etiologia estão envolvidos fatores genéticos, ambientais e infecções. Dentre as infecções se destacam as virais cujas proteínas modificam a função dos sinoviócitos como ocorre com o Parvovírus B19 (PVB19). Estudos tem mostrado a participação das citocinas IL-6 e L-10 na fisiopatogenia da AR. O diagnóstico da AR se baseia em critérios clínicos, radiológicos e laboratoriais.Dentre os auto- anticorpos, o fator reumatóide (FR) apresenta alta sensibilidade e baixa especificidade. Por lado, o anticorpo antipeptídeo citrulinado cíclico (ACCP) é um importante marcador para o diagnóstico e tem valor preditivo de um pior prognóstico. Sua detecção pelo ELISA, têm mostrado excelente desempenho diagnóstico, embora seja oneroso e mais demorado. Visando diagnósticos mais rápidos e práticos, os biossensores são ideais para testes tipo “point-of-care” devido à sua portabilidade. Os objetivos desta tese foram: avaliar a correlação dos niveis séricos de IL-10, IL-6 e a frequência do anti-IgG PVB19 com atividade clínica da AR mediante os índices compostos de atividade de doença (ICADs).em diferentes tratamentos e desenvolver um imunossensor eletroquímico label free para ACCP.Foi desenvolvido um estudo transversal para estimar a frequencia de anti-IgG PVB19 e determinar os níveis séricos da IL6 e IL10 pelo método ELISA.O imunossensor constituído por eletrodos screen printed de ouro,foi baseado no uso da SAM formada pela deposição do àcido tioglicólico.Oa antígenos foram imobilizadosde modo orientado via grupos carboxílicos do TGA. Os resultados mostraram uma frequencia de 73% (60/83) de IgG anti-PVB19 e uma correlação significativa entre os níveis de IL-6 e as medidas de atividade de AR nos pacientes com maior atividade inflamatória pelo EULAR. O maior contigente de pacientes IgG anti-PVB19 positivos estava com moderada e alta atividade pelo EULAR.O imunossensor eletroquímico apresentou uma resposta linear na curva de calibração, bom coeficiente de correlação e limite de detecção menor do que o método ELISA. / Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, whose etiology is influenced by genetics, the environment, and infections. Among the various types of infections, the ones that stand out are the viral infections whose proteins alter the function of synoviocytes as occurs with Parvovirus B19 (PVB19). Studies have shown the involvement of the IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines in the physiopathogenesis of RA. Diagnosis of RA is based on clinical, radiological, and laboratory criteria. In the autoantibodies, the rheumatoid factor (RF) has high sensitivity and low specificity. The Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (anti-CCP) is an important marker for the diagnosis and as a predictive value of a worst-case prognosis.Its detection by ELISA has shown excellent diagnostic performance, but it is expensive and takes longer.Aiming for faster and more practical diagnostics, biosensors are ideal for point-of-care testing, due to their portability. The objectives of this thesis were to evaluate the correlation of the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6and the frequency of anti-IgG PVB19,with the clinical activity of RA, via composite indices of disease activity, under different treatments, in order to develop a labelfree electrochemical immunosensor for anti-CCP. A cross-sectional study was developed to estimate the frequency of anti-IgGPVB19and to determine the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 by the ELISA method. The immunosensor consisting of screen-printed gold electrodes was based on the use of the self-assembled monolayer (sam) formed by deposition of thioglycolic acid. The antigens were immobilized, driven via carboxylic groups of the TGA. The results showed a frequency of 73% (60/83) of IgG anti-PVB19 and a significant correlation between the levels of IL-6 and the activity measures of AR in the patients with higher inflammatory activity according to the EULAR. Most of the IgG anti-PVB19 positive patients had moderate and high activity according to the EULAR. The electrochemical immunosensor showed a linear response in the calibration curve, a good correlation coefficient, and a detection limit lower than the ELISA method.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-03-29T12:58:51Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação OK Priscila Mendonça.pdf: 4293178 bytes, checksum: abd6cd49376b8e172e0ce8adf3135b8d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-29T12:58:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação OK Priscila Mendonça.pdf: 4293178 bytes, checksum: abd6cd49376b8e172e0ce8adf3135b8d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-10 / CAPES / CNPQ / A dengue é uma doença viral considerada um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública nas regiões tropicais e sub-tropicais do mundo, sendo endemicamente prevalente em cerca de 112 países. Anualmente, afeta cerca de 50 a 100 milhões de pessoas, resultando em taxas de mortalidade entre 0,03% a 1,4%. É uma doença auto-limitante, caracterizada por febre, dor de cabeça, mialgia, entre outros sintomas. Na sua forma severa (síndrome do choque por dengue e febre hemorrágica), a doença pode levar ao óbito, principalmente em crianças. A proteína não estrutural 1 (NS1) do vírus dengue circula abundantemente no sangue durante toda a viremia, estando em níveis maiores na fase aguda; assim esta pode ser utilizada como marcador do estado agudo. Para o controle da infecção estão disponíveis testes diagnósticos baseados em ensaios sorológicos, testes imunocromatográficos e moleculares, entretanto estes apresentam limitações. O desenvolvimento de alternativas mais práticas, quantitativas e econômicas tem resultado na crescente busca por testes baseados em biossensores. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um imunossensor para detecção de NS1 baseado em uma plataforma nanoestruturada, constituída de nano-híbrido formado por nanotubos de carbono e filme polimérico de polietilenoimina montado sobre sistema eletroquímico constituído por microeletrodo de ouro. Os anticorpos monoclonais anti-NS1 foram imobilizados sobre a superfície eletródica por ligações covalentes com os nanotubos de carbono, permitindo um alta estabilidade durante as medidas. Todas as etapas de modificações da superfície eletródica foram caracterizadas eletroquimicamente, estrutural e morfologicamente através das técnicas de voltametria cíclica, espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FT-IR) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura, respectivamente. A espessura do filme nanoestruturado foi determinada por medidas piezoelétricas, em um sistema de microbalança de cristal de quartzo de acordo com a equação de Sauerbrey. A resposta analítica do imunossensor frente a proteína NS1 foi obtida por amperometria aplicando-se a técnica de voltametria de onda quadrada (VOC). O imunossensor apresentou resposta linear entre 0,1 a 0,6 µg.mL-1 de NS1. Os dados ajustados para a equação de regressão linear exibiu coeficiente de correlação de 0,996 (p << 0,01, n = 7) e um baixo erro relativo (aproximadamente 1%). O imunossensor apresentou limite de detecção de 0,038 µg.mL-1 e limite de quantificação de 0,1 µg.mL-1 de NS1, sendo similar aos obtidos na literatura, porém com a vantagem de não requerer antígenos ou anticorpos marcados (label-free) e utilizar técnica analítica mais simples (VOC). Os resultados indicam que o imunossensor apresenta sensibilidade compatível para detecção de NS1 em níveis sorológicos, permitindo ser uma ferramenta prática, rápida e econômica para o diagnóstico da dengue, sobretudo para detecção precoce da fase aguda. / Dengue is a viral disease considered as a major public health problems in tropical and sub-tropical world, endemically being prevalent in about 112 countries. Annually, it affects 50 to 100 million people, resulting in mortality rates of 0.03% to 1.4%. It is a self-limiting disease characterized by fever, headache, myalgia, among other symptoms. In its severe form (shock syndrome and dengue haemorrhagic fever), the disease can lead to death, especially in children. The nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of the dengue virus circulates in blood abundantly throughout viremia, with higher levels in the acute phase; thus it can be used as a marker of the acute stage. For control of infection are available diagnostic testings based on serological assays, immunochromatographic and molecular assyas, however these have limitations. The development of more practical, quantitative and economic alternatives has resulted in growing demand for tests based on biosensors. In this work, it was developed an immunosensor for NS1 detection based on a nanostructured platform consisting of nanohybrid comprising carbon nanotubes and polymeric film polyethyleneimine mounted on electrochemical system consisting of gold microelectrode. The anti-NS1 monoclonal antibodies were immobilized on the electrode surface by covalent bonds with carbon nanotubes, allowing for a high stability during the measurements. All steps of electrode modifications were characterized by electrochemical, structural and morphologically techniques through cyclic voltammetry, infrared spectroscopy by Fourier transform (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The thickness of the nanostructured film was determined by piezoelectric system using a quartz crystal microbalance, according to the Sauerbrey equation. The analytical response of the immunosensor against NS1 protein was obtained by applying amperometry by square wave voltammetry (SWV). The immunosensor showed a linear response between 0.1 to 0.6 μg.mL-1 NS1. The data set into the linear regression equation showed a correlation coefficient of 0.996 (p << 0.01, n = 7) and a low relative error (about 1%). The immunosensor presented detection limit of 0.038 μg.mL-1 and a limit of quantification of 0.1 μg.mL-1 NS1, being similar to those obtained in literature, but with advantage of not requiring labeled antigen or antibody (label- free) and to require a more simple analytical technique (VOC). The results indicate that the achieved sensitivity was similar NS1 immunosensors, allowing it to be convenient, fast and economical tool for dengue diagnosis, particularly for early detection of acute phase.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-05-04T14:00:33Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE VERSÃO DEFINITIVA COM ARTIGO 2 (1).pdf: 3543569 bytes, checksum: 401f073227f2753f70b28b7a15be070e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-04T14:00:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE VERSÃO DEFINITIVA COM ARTIGO 2 (1).pdf: 3543569 bytes, checksum: 401f073227f2753f70b28b7a15be070e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-02 / FACEPE / A infecção pelo vírus da Hepatite B (HBV) é considerada uma enfermidade de alta morbimortalidade, apresentando diagnóstico complexo e quadro de persistência, fatores que dificultam a detecção, terapêutica e cura. Relatos variados têm apontado os imunossensores como importantes ferramentas de auxílio no diagnóstico de doenças, definido como um dispositivo que converte respostas de eventos biológicos a partir da interação antígenoanticorpo em sinal elétrico. No presente estudo foram desenvolvidos biossensores para detecção de anticorpos contra o nucleocapsídeo do HBV (Anti-HBc) mais perene apresentado no diagnóstico da doença. Recentemente, o emprego de nanomateriais no desenvolvimento de tais dispositivos tem despertado interesse devido às propriedades destes materiais. Particularmente, os nanotubos de carbono (NTCs) têm oferecido aos imunossensores melhoria na condutividade, aumento na velocidade de transferência de carga, aumento da área eletródica com maior possibilidade de imobilização de biomoléculas. Nesta tese, foram empregados o ácido hialurônico e o náfion como suporte para forte interação com os NTC funcionalizados em eletrodos de carbono vítreo e de ouro fabricado sobre folha de acetato. Os dispositivos foram caracterizados por técnicas de imagem (microscopia de força atômica) e eletroquímicas (voltametrias de onda quadrada e cíclica), as quais demonstraram a estabilidade da plataforma, imobilização eficaz e sensibilidade. O primeiro protótipo em eletrodos de carbono vítreo modificado com filme de ácido hialurônico associado a nanotubos funcionalizados apresentou resposta linear de 1 a 6ng/ml com limite de detcção de 0,03ng/ml. No segundo protótipo com eletrodos impressos de ouro modificado com filme etanólico de náfion associado a nanotubos funcionalizados, o imunossensor apresentou resposta linear de 0,5 até 2ng/ml, com limite de detecção de 0,15 ng/ml de anti-HBc. Os protótipos desenvolvidos apresentam-se como potenciais para diagóstico da HBV. / Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is considered a high mortality disease, with complex diagnosis and persistence framework, factors that hinder detection, therapy and cure. various reports have pointed out the immunosensors as important aid tools in the diagnosis of disease, defined as a device that converts biological events of answers from the electrical signal in antigen-antibody interaction. In the present study biosensors have been developed for the detection of antibodies to the HBV nucleocapsid (anti-HBc) Perennial presented in the diagnosis of disease. Recently, the use of nanomaterials in the development of such devices has aroused interest because of the properties of these materials. Particularly, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have offered immunosensors improvement in conductivity, increased charge transfer speed, increased electrodic area with the highest possibility of immobilization of biomolecules. In this thesis, we employed hyaluronic acid and nafion as support for strong interaction with the NTC functionalized glassy carbon electrodes and manufactured gold on acetate sheet. The devices were characterized by imaging techniques (atomic force microscopy) and electrochemical (cyclic and square wave voltammetry), which demonstrated the platform stability, effective restraint and sensitivity. The first prototype on glassy carbon electrode modified with hyaluronic acid film associated with functionalized nanotubes showed a linear response of 1 to 6ng/ ml with detction limit 0,03ng / ml. In the second prototype printed gold electrodes modified with ethanolic nafion film associated with functionalized nanotubes, the immunosensor showed a linear response of 0.5 to 2 ng / ml, the detection limit of 0.15 ng / ml of anti-HBc. The developed prototype is present as diagnostic potential for HBV.

Os rins desempenham um papel fundamental no sistema urinário e sua principal função é a filtração do sangue. Uma das causas que podem comprometer o funcionamento dos rins é a Insuficiência Renal Aguda (IRA) que é definida como a diminuição da taxa de filtração glomerular (TFG) de forma rápida e inesperada, causando a perda da função renal. Essa doença apresenta um número significativo de internações e também óbitos. O marcador padrão usado nos exames laboratoriais é a creatinina sérica, no entanto, a concentração da creatinina sérica pode variar dependendo de vários fatores, como idade, sexo, nutrição, entre outros. Além disso, sua concentração não varia consideravelmente nas primeiras indicações da lesão renal. Dessa forma, o diagnóstico é tardio e a função renal já pode estar comprometida. A proteína cistatina C (CST3) vem sendo indicada como um novo marcador para a doença, mostrando superioridade especialmente para detectar pequenas variações da TFG. A concentração da cistatina C não varia significativamente com a idade, sexo e massa muscular. Assim, foi desenvolvido um imunossensor para detectar a cistatina C, usando a configuração de transistor de efeito de campo de porta estendida e separada (SEGFET). Os eletrodos foram caracterizados por várias técnicas como MEV, microscopia de força atômica, técnicas eletroquímicas e também foi analisada a sensibilidade do ouro. As etapas de construção do imunossensor, e a interação do anticorpo com concentrações crescentes da proteína foram verificadas através de técnicas eletroquímicas, na faixa de concentração de 3 a 100 ng.mL-1. Nas medidas no SEGFET observou-se uma mudança significativa da corrente após a adição da cistatina C e para as substâncias interferentes não. O imunossensor apresentou alta sensibilidade detectando concentrações bem baixas da proteína alvo. A curva analítica &#916;IDS% x [CST3] obteve-se L.D. = 0,75 ng.mL-1, L.Q. = 2,27 ng.mL-1 e r = 0,98122. A curva analítica &#916;VGS% x [CST3] obteve-se L.D. = 0,28 ng.mL-1, L.Q. = 0,87 ng.mL-1 e r = 0,99846. Embora tenha algumas limitações o imunossensor é inovador e apresenta muitas vantagens podendo ser aplicado futuramente para o diagnóstico da doença. / The kidneys play a key role in the urinary system and its main function is the filtration of blood. One of the causes that can compromise the functioning of the kidneys is the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), which is defined as the quickly and unexpected decrease in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), causing the loss of kidney function. This disease presents a significant number of hospitalizations and also deaths. The standard marker used in laboratory tests is serum creatinine, however, serum creatinine concentration may vary depending on a number of factors, such as age, sex, nutrition, and so on. In addition, its concentration does not vary considerably in the first indications of renal injury. Thus, the diagnosis is delayed and renal function may already be compromised. The cystatin C protein (CST3) has been indicated as a new marker for the disease, showing superiority especially for detecting small variations in GFR. The concentration of cystatin C does not vary significantly with age, sex and muscle mass. Thus, an immunosensor was developed to detect cystatin C using the extended and a separate gate field effect transistor (SEGFET) configuration. The electrodes were characterized by several techniques such as SEM, atomic force microscopy, electrochemical techniques and also the sensitivity of gold was analyzed. The construction of the immunosensor, and the interaction of the antibody with increasing concentrations of the protein were verified by electrochemical techniques, in the concentration range of 3 to 100 ng.mL-1. In the measurements in the SEGFET a significant change of the current was observed after the addition of cystatin C and for the interfering substances there was no difference. The immunosensor showed high sensitivity detecting very low concentrations of the target protein. The analytical curve &#916;IDS% x [CST3] was obtained L.D. = 0,75 ng.mL-1, L.Q. = 2,27 ng.mL-1 and r = 0,98122. The analytical curve &#916;VGS% x [CST3] was obtained L.D. = 0,28 ng.mL-1, L.Q. = 0,87 ng.mL-1 and r = 0,99846. Although it has some limitations the immunosensor is innovative and presents many advantages and can be applied in the future to diagnose the disease.

This dissertation describes the development of a label-free, electrochemical immunosensing platform integrated into a low-cost microfluidic system for the sensitive, selective and accurate detection of cortisol, a steroid hormone co-related with many physiological disorders. Abnormal levels of cortisol is indicative of conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease, adrenal insufficiencies and more recently post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Electrochemical detection of immuno-complex formation is utilized for the sensitive detection of Cortisol using Anti-Cortisol antibodies immobilized on sensing electrodes. Electrochemical detection techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) have been utilized for the characterization and sensing of the label-free detection of Cortisol. The utilization of nanomaterial’s as the immobilizing matrix for Anti-cortisol antibodies that leads to improved sensor response has been explored. A hybrid nano-composite of Polyanaline-Ag/AgO film has been fabricated onto Au substrate using electrophoretic deposition for the preparation of electrochemical immunosening of cortisol. Using a conventional 3-electrode electrochemical cell, a linear sensing range of 1pM to 1µM at a sensitivity of 66µA/M and detection limit of 0.64pg/mL has been demonstrated for detection of cortisol. Alternately, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of dithiobis(succinimidylpropionte) (DTSP) has been fabricated for the modification of sensing electrode to immobilize with Anti-Cortisol antibodies. To increase the sensitivity at lower detection limit and to develop a point-of-care sensing platform, the DTSP-SAM has been fabricated on micromachined interdigitated microelectrodes (µIDE). Detection of cortisol is demonstrated at a sensitivity of 20.7µA/M and detection limit of 10pg/mL for a linear sensing range of 10pM to 200nM using the µIDE’s. A simple, low-cost microfluidic system is designed using low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology for the integration of the electrochemical cortisol immunosensor and automation of the immunoassay. For the first time, the non-specific adsorption of analyte on LTCC has been characterized for microfluidic applications. The design, fabrication technique and fluidic characterization of the immunoassay are presented. The DTSP-SAM based electrochemical immunosensor on µIDE is integrated into the LTCC microfluidic system and cortisol detection is achieved in the microfluidic system in a fully automated assay. The fully automated microfluidic immunosensor hold great promise for accurate, sensitive detection of cortisol in point-of-care applications.