Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death globally, with acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs) being one of the most life-threatening events. Usually absent in the bloodstream, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is released as cardiac muscle is damaged during an AMI. Typical concentrations of cTnI in the blood are low (≤1-2 ng/mL) but can reach as high as 500 ng/mL after the onset of an AMI. Detection of elevated or a rapid change (an increase or decrease) of the cTnI levels in the bloodstream can indicate a recent or ongoing AMI. Point-of-care (POC) testing involves using a small sample to perform rapid and accurate analyte detection for quick diagnosis and efficient patient treatment. One such POC testing method is the use of lateral flow assays (LFAs) which provide a low-cost, rapid diagnostic testing method without the need for specialized training. Protein detection, such as for cTnI, using LFAs involves using antigen-antibody complexes and metallic nanoparticles, commonly gold (AuNP). Analysis of the results involves observing a colorimetric change at the strip's test line and control line. Silver-reduction staining is a common method used to increase the sensitivity of lateral flow assays. By adapting the silver-reduction staining protocol from a potato leaf virus assay, silver-reduction staining for the detection of cardiac troponin I qualitatively proved to be effective in increasing the sensitivity of the assay strips from 50 ng/mL to 5 ng/mL. Successful development of the assay potentially allows for point-of-care testing and treatment for acute myocardial infarctions and therefore a better prognosis for patients.

Efficacy of silver-reduction staining for enhanced sensitivity in troponin I lateral flow assay

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