Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is uniquely associated with one of the two variants of the 4q subtelomere.

Contractions in the polymorphic D4Z4 repeat array of subtelomere 4qter cause autosomal dominant facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in humans. A polymorphic segment of 10 kb directly distal to D4Z4 exists in two allelic forms, 4qA and 4qB. Although both alleles are equally common in the general population, we now report that FSHD is associated solely with the 4qA allele.

Quantitative assessment of a novel flow-through porous microarray for the rapid analysis of gene expression profiles.

A novel microarray system that utilizes a porous aluminum-oxide substrate and flow-through incubation has been developed for rapid molecular biological testing. To assess its utility in gene expression analysis, we determined hybridization kinetics, variability, sensitivity and dynamic range of the system using amplified RNA. To show the feasibility with complex biological RNA, we subjected Jurkat cells to heat-shock treatment and analyzed the transcriptional regulation of 23 genes. We found that trends (regulation or no change) acquired on this platform are in good agreement with data obtained from real-time quantitative PCR and Affymetrix GeneChips. Additionally, the system demonstrates a linear dynamic range of 3 orders of magnitude and at least 10-fold decreased hybridization time compared to conventional microarrays. The minimum amount of transcript that could be detected in 20 microl volume is 2-5 amol, which enables the detection of 1 in 300,000 copies of a transcript in 1 microg of amplified RNA. Hybridization and subsequent analysis are completed within 2 h. Replicate hybridizations on 24 identical arrays with two complex biological samples revealed a mean coefficient of variation of 11.6%. This study shows the potential of flow-through porous microarrays for the rapid analysis of gene expression profiles in clinical applications.

Rapid, high sensitivity, point-of-care test for cardiac troponin based on optomagnetic biosensor.

BACKGROUND: We present a prototype handheld device based on a newly developed optomagnetic technology for the sensitive detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in a finger-prick blood sample with a turnaround time of 5 min. METHODS: The test was completed in a compact plastic disposable with on-board dry reagents and superparamagnetic nanoparticles. In our one-step assay, all reaction processes were precisely controlled using electromagnets positioned above and below the disposable. Nanoparticle labels (500 nm) bound to the sensor surface via a sandwich immunoassay were detected using the optical technique of frustrated total internal reflection. RESULTS: A calibration function measured in plasma demonstrates a limit of detection (mean of blank plus 3-fold the standard deviation) of 0.03 ng/mL cTnI. A linear regression analysis of the region 0.03-6.5 ng/mL yields a slope of 37+/-4, and a linear correlation coefficient of R2=0.98. The measuring range could be extended substantially to 100 ng/mL by simultaneously imaging a second spot with a lower antibody concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of magnetic particles and their fine actuation with electromagnets permits the rapid and sensitive detection of cTnI. Because of the potential high analytical performance and ease-of-use of the test, it is well suited for demanding point-of-care diagnostic applications.