Rapid and Quantitative Detection of TNF-α in Human Tears Using a Portable Electrochemiluminescence-Based Device.

Shaohong Qu, Boyu Zhu, Zihao Liu, Xing Chen, Peifang Dong, Lihang Zhu

Abstract read

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Article in Biosensors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shaohong QuNursing Department of Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.

Boyu ZhuKey Laboratory of Excited-State Materials of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

Zihao LiuZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

Xing ChenZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

Peifang DongNursing Department of Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.

Lihang ZhuDepartment of Clinical Engineering, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5833-0895

Funding

Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province 2024KY1032Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province 2025KY836"Pioneer" and "Leading Goose" R&D Program of Zhejiang 2022C03SA1I1049

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Personalized, point-of-care testing of human tears is essential for ocular disease diagnosis, yet it is hampered by picomolar biomarker levels and microliter sample volumes. In this work, we developed an integrated, portable electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based device for rapid and quantitative detection of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pivotal inflammatory marker in ocular surface disease, with particular relevance to dry eye syndrome (DES). The device integrates a miniaturized electrochemical cell for ECL reactions and a compact silica photomultiplier for signal measurement. A vertical silica mesochannel (VSM)-coated ITO electrode is also integrated and further functionalized with TNF-α-specific aptamers. The VSM enables the enrichment of ECL luminophores, thus enabling further amplification of ECL signals and enhancing sensitivity. A wide linear range from 0.1 to 200 pg/mL was achieved using 10-fold dilution of 3 μL tear samples. Overall, this study provides a portable, highly sensitive platform for personalized analysis of TNF-α in tear fluid, enabling rapid point-of-care assessment of DES.

Indexed as

Biosensing TechniquesElectrochemical TechniquesLuminescent MeasurementsTearsTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaDry Eye SyndromesHumansTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaaptasensordry eye syndromeelectrochemiluminescencepoint-of-care testingtumor necrosis factor alpha

Identifiers

PMID41149298

DOI10.3390/bios15100645

PMCPMC12564070

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.