Establishment of Heparin-binding Protein Time-resolved Immunoassay and Some Potential Clinical Applications

Aim: To establish a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay of heparin-binding protein (HBP-TRFIA) and evaluate its application value for bacterial or fungal infections in tumor patients.

Methods: Two types of HBP monoclonal specific antibodies against different epitopes of the antigen molecule were used as coating antibodies and Eu-labeled antibodies, respectively. The double-antibody sandwich method was used in establishing HBP-TRFIA, and the methodology was evaluated. The established HBP-TRFIA was used in detecting HBP concentration in the plasma samples of healthy individuals, patients with bacterial or fungal infections, and infected or uninfected patients with various types of tumors.

Results: The linear range of HBP-TRFIA was (0.11-530 ng/mL). Plasma HBP concentrations detected through HBP-TRFIA were consistent with the results of fluorescence quantitative immunochromatography (ρ = 0.964). The plasma HBP concentrations of infected tumor patients were significantly higher than those of uninfected tumor patients (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: This study successfully established a highly sensitive HBP-TRFIA, which was highly comparable to commercially available fluorescent quantitative immunochromatographic kits and was able to facilitate the timely diagnosis of bacterial or fungal infections in patients with tumor.