Detection of HbA1c by boronate affinity immunoassay using bacterial magnetic particles

We have developed a boronate affinity immunoassay system using m-aminophenylboronic acid (mAPB) coupling to bacterial magnetic particles (BMPs). Homobifunctional crosslinker, Bis-(succcimidyl)suberate (BS3), was employed for preparation of mAPB-BMPs conjugates (mAPB-BMPs). Quantities of HbA_1c on mAPB-BMPs were evaluated based on luminescence from alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-Hb antibody (ALP–antibody) binding to HbA_1c on the BMP surface. The binding of HbA_1c to mAPB-BMPs occurred gradually and was almost completed within 10 mm. The coupling reaction is enhanced due to static electric interaction between the positive charges on HbA_1c and negative charges on BMPs. The amount of HbA_1c binding to mAPB-BMPs increased with increasing sodium chloride concentrations in the range of 0–100 mM. However, the amount of Hb binding to mAPB-BMPs also increased in high concentration of sodium chloride. The Hb binding to mAPB-BMPs was detached from mAPB-BMPs when Hb–mAPB-BMPs were washed with low salt buffer. This indicates that Hb is nonspecifically adsorbed onto the surface of mAPB-BMPs in high concentration of sodium chloride. These results suggest that selective separation of HbA_1c using mAPB-BMPs can be achieved with these conditions. A dose–response curve was obtained between luminescence intensity and HbA_1c concentration using a fully automated boronate affinity immunoassay. A linear relationship between luminescence intensity and HbA_1c concentration was obtained in the range of 10–10⁴ ng/ml.