A highly sensitive method of spectroscopic ellipsometry in total internal reflection mode (TIRE) was exploited for detecting β-amyloid peptide (Aβ(1-16)) in the direct immune reaction with monoclonal DE2 antibodies (raised against Aβ(1-16)) electrostatically immobilised on the surface of gold. A rapid detection of Aβ(1-16) in a wide range of concentrations from 5 μg/ml down to 0.05 ng/ml was achieved using a cost-effective and label-free direct immunoassay format. TIRE dynamic spectral measurements proved that the immune reaction between DE2 monoclonal antibodies and Aβ(1-16) is highly specific with the affinity constant K(D)=1.46×10(-8) mol/l. The same DE2 antibodies were utilised for detection of amyloid precursor protein APP(770), a larger protein containing Aβ(1-16) domain, using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements in liquid. A combination of QCM and TIRE kinetics results allowed the evaluation of the originally unknown concentration of APP(770) in complete medium solution containing other proteins, salts, and amino acids.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.