A microfluidic device for rapid quantification of cell-free DNA in patients with severe sepsis

Lab Chip. 2015 Oct 7;15(19):3925-33. doi: 10.1039/c5lc00681c.

Abstract

A rapid and accurate method to identify severe sepsis patients at high risk of death is critically needed for clinical practice. In a recent study, the concentration of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in blood was found to be a prognostic indicator for ICU mortality in patients with severe sepsis. However, current DNA quantification techniques are time-consuming and involve extensive sample preparation. In this paper, we demonstrate a low-cost microfluidic device capable of rapid quantification of cfDNA in a small droplet (<10 μl) of blood plasma and whole blood in 5 min using only electrical power. The cfDNA in samples is selectively labeled by PicoGreen and is extracted and concentrated by electrophoresis into a gel by application of a DC potential of 9 V. This device has potential as a prognostic tool for early and rapid assessment of septic patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA / blood*
  • Electrophoresis
  • Humans
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / methods*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Sepsis / genetics*
  • Sepsis / pathology

Substances

  • Proteins
  • DNA