Label-Free High-Throughput Leukemia Detection by Holographic Microscopy.

Complete blood count and differentiation of leukocytes (DIFF) belong to the most frequently performed laboratory diagnostic tests. Here, a flow cytometry-based method for label-free DIFF of untouched leukocytes by digital holographic microscopy on the rich phase contrast of peripheral leukocyte images, using highly controlled 2D hydrodynamic focusing conditions is reported. Principal component analysis of morphological characteristics of the reconstructed images allows classification of nine leukocyte types, in addition to different types of leukemia and demonstrates disappearance of acute myeloid leukemia cells in remission. To exclude confounding effects, the classification strategy is tested by the analysis of 20 blinded clinical samples. Here, 70% of the specimens are correctly classified with further 20% classifications close to a correct diagnosis. Taken together, the findings indicate a broad clinical applicability of the cytometry method for automated and reagent-free diagnosis of hematological disorders.

Esterase 2-oligodeoxynucleotide conjugates as sensitive reporter for electrochemical detection of nucleic acid hybridization.

A thermostable, single polypeptide chain enzyme, esterase 2 from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, was covalently conjugated in a site specific manner with an oligodeoxynucleotide. The conjugate served as a reporter enzyme for electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization. Capture oligodeoxynucleotides were assembled on gold electrode via thiol-gold interaction. The esterase 2-oligodeoxynucleotide conjugates were brought to electrode surface by DNA hybridization. The p-aminophenol formed by esterase 2 catalyzed hydrolysis of p-aminophenylbutyrate was amperometrically determined. Esterase 2 reporters allows to detect approximately 1.5 x 10(-18)mol oligodeoxynucleotides/0.6 mm2 electrode, or 3 pM oligodeoxynucleotide in a volume of 0.5 microL. Chemically targeted, single site covalent attachment of esterase 2 to an oligodeoxynucleotide significantly increases the selectivity of the mismatch detection as compared to widely used, rather unspecific, streptavidin/biotin conjugated proteins. Artificial single nucleotide mismatches in a 510-nucleotide ssDNA could be reliably determined using esterase 2-oligodeoxynucleotide conjugates as a reporter.