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Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been linked to several life-threatening disease processes. Developing a point-of-care testing platform for the immediate and accurate detection of IL-6 concentrations could present a valuable tool for improving clinical management in patients with IL-6-mediated diseases. Drawing on an available biobank of samples from 35 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a novel quantum-magnetic sensing platform is used to determine plasma IL-6 concentrations. A strong correlation was observed between IL-6 levels measured by QDTI10x and the Luminex assay (r = 0.70, p-value < 0.001) and between QDTI80x and Luminex (r = 0.82, p-value < 0.001). To validate the non-inferiority of QDTI to Luminex in terms of the accuracy of IL-6 measurement, two clinical parameters—the need for intensive care unit admission and the need for mechanical intubation—were chosen. IL-6 concentrations measured by the two assays were compared with respect to these clinical outcomes. Results demonstrated a comparative predictive performance between the two assays with a significant correlation coefficient. Conclusion: In short, the QDTI assay holds promise for implementation as a potential tool for rapid clinical decision in patients with IL-6-mediated diseases. It could also reduce healthcare costs and enable the development of future various biomolecule point-of-care tests for different clinical scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to detect single protein molecules in blood could accelerate the discovery and use of more sensitive diagnostic biomarkers. To detect low-abundance proteins in blood, we captured them on microscopic beads decorated with specific antibodies and then labeled the immunocomplexes (one or zero labeled target protein molecules per bead) with an enzymatic reporter capable of generating a fluorescent product. After isolating the beads in 50-fl reaction chambers designed to hold only a single bead, we used fluorescence imaging to detect single protein molecules. Our single-molecule enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (digital ELISA) approach detected as few as ∼10–20 enzyme-labeled complexes in 100 μl of sample (∼10−19 M) and routinely allowed detection of clinically relevant proteins in serum at concentrations (<10−15 M) much lower than conventional ELISA. Digital ELISA detected prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in sera from patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy at concentrations as low as 14 fg/ml (0.4 fM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single molecule detection of target molecules specifically bound by paired fluorescently labeled probes has shown great potential for sensitive quantitation of biomolecules. To date, no reports have rigorously evaluated the analytical capabilities of a single molecule detection platform employing this dual-probe approach or the performance of its data analysis methodology. In this paper, we describe a rapid, automated, and sensitive multicolor single molecule detection apparatus and a novel extension of coincident event counting based on detection of fluorescent probes. The approach estimates the number of dual-labeled molecules of interest from the total number of coincident fluorescent events observed by correcting for unbound probes that randomly pass through the interrogation zone simultaneously. Event counting was evaluated on three combinations of distinct fluorescence channels and was demonstrated to outperform conventional spatial cross-correlation in generating a wider linear dynamic response to target molecules. Furthermore, this approach succeeded in detecting subpicomolar concentrations of a model RNA target to which fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes were hybridized in a complex background of RNA. These results illustrate that the fluorescent event counting approach described represents a general tool for rapid sensitive quantitative analysis of any sample analyte, including nucleic acids and proteins, for which pairs of specific probes can be developed.

Background: Mammalian tissues contain a presumed endogenous Na+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitor that binds reversibly to the Na+ pump with high affinity and specificity. The inhibitor has been linked to the pathogenesis of experimental volume-expanded and human essential hypertension. This compound has been isolated from mammalian hypothalamus and appears to be an isomer of the plant-derived cardiac glycoside ouabain, if not ouabain itself. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a biosynthetic pathway exists in mammalian tissues to produce a steroid derivative closely related to plant cardiac glycosides., Methods and Results: Using bioinformatics and genomic techniques, Milan hypertensive rat tissues were studied because this strain has a 10-fold increase in hypothalamic ouabain-like compound that is linked to the pathogenesis of the hypertension. A putative steroid biosynthetic pathway was constructed and candidate genes encoding enzymes in this pathway were identified from sequence databases. Differential expression of selected genes in the pathway was studied by microarray analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, with functional validation by gene silencing using small interfering RNAs. Marked upregulation of genes coding for P450 side chain cleavage and Delta5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Delta5-Delta4- isomerase enzymes in hypertensive hypothalamus but not adrenal was found, compared with normotensive Milan rats. Knockdown of the latter gene decreased production of ouabain-like factor from neural tissue., Conclusions: Our findings support the possibility that a unique steroid biosynthetic circuit exists in Milan rat brain, functioning independently from adrenal, which could account for the overproduction of the hypothalamic ouabain-like compound in this species.

Osp94 (osmotic stress protein of 94 kDa) is known to be up-regulated by hypertonic and heat-shock stresses in mouse renal inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD3) cells. To investigate the molecular mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the Osp94 gene under these stresses, we cloned and characterized the 5'-flanking region of the gene. Sequence analysis of the proximal 4 kb 5'-flanking region revealed a TATA-less G/C-rich promoter region containing a cluster of Sp1 sites. We also identified upstream sequence motifs similar to the consensus TonE/ORE (tonicity-response element/osmotic response element) as well as the consensus HSE (heat-shock element). Luciferase activities in cells transfected with reporter constructs containing a TonE/ORE-like element (Osp94-TonE; 5'-TGGAAAGGACCAG-3') and HSE enhanced reporter gene expression under hypertonic stress and heat-shock stress respectively. Electrophoretic gel mobility-shift assay showed a slowly migrating band binding to the Osp94-TonE probe, probably representing binding of TonEBP (TonE binding protein) to this enhancer element. Furthermore, treatment of mIMCD3 cells with MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitors (SB203580, PD98059, U0126 and SP600125) and a proteasome inhibitor (MG132) suppressed the increase in Osp94 gene expression caused by hypertonic NaCl. These results indicate that the 5'-flanking region of Osp94 gene contains a hypertonicity sensitive cis -acting element, Osp94-TonE, which is distinct from a functional HSE. Furthermore, the MAPK and proteasome systems appear to be, at least in part, involved in hypertonic-stressmediated regulation of Osp94 through Osp94-TonE.

We describe the cloning, sequencing and structure of the human fast skeletal troponin T (TNNT3) gene located on chromosome 11p15.5. The single-copy gene encodes 19 exons and 18 introns. Eleven of these exons, 1-3, 9-15 and 18, are constitutively spliced, whereas exons 4-8 are alternatively spliced. The gene contains an additional subset of developmentally regulated and alternatively spliced exons, including a foetal exon located between exon 8 and 9 and exon 16 or alpha (adult) and 17 or beta (foetal and neonatal). Exon phasing suggests that the majority of the alternatively spliced exons located at the 5' end of the gene may have evolved as a result of exon shuffling, because they are of the same phase class. In contrast, the 3' exons encoding an evolutionarily conserved heptad repeat domain, shared by both TnT and troponin I (TnI), may be remnants of an ancient ancestral gene. The sequence of the 5' flanking region shows that the putative promoter contains motifs including binding sites for MyoD, MEF-2 and several transcription factors which may play a role in transcriptional regulation and tissue-specific expression of TnT. The coding region of TNNT3 exhibits strong similarity to the corresponding rat sequence. However, unlike the rat TnT gene, TNNT3 possesses two repeat regions of CCA and TC. The exclusive presence of these repetitive elements in the human gene indicates divergence in the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian TnT genes. Homologous muscle-specific splicing enhancer motifs are present in the introns upstream and downstream of the foetal exon, and may play a role in the developmental pattern of alternative splicing of the gene. The genomic correlates of TNNT3 are relevant to our understanding of the evolution and regulation of expression of the gene, as well as the structure and function of the protein isoforms. The nucleotide sequence of TNNT3 has been submitted to EMBL/GenBank under Accession No. AF026276.