A fluorescent immunosensor on optical fibre for the multiplex detection of proinflammatory cytokines

Cytokines are typical mediators of the immune response. Single cytokine measurement is unable to reflect the true complexity of these physiological processes and multiplex detection is required. In this work, we developed an optical fibre based biosensor for multiplex detection of cytokines. This multiplex biosensor has been successfully applied for the measurement of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the linear range of 12.5-200 pg mL-1 with the limit of detection (LOD) of 12.5 pg mL(-1). Additionally, it has compatible performance with ELISA kit for the monitoring of cytokines from rat PBMC cell culture mediums stimulated by LPS or UV radiation. Moreover, this universal platform could be applied for multiplex detection of other proteins by simply changing the capture/detection antibody pairs. This fibre based multiplex biosensor is designed for in-situ measurement of target cytokines, which is significant for the investigation of inflammatory processes or disease prognosis and treatment monitoring.