Biochip Detects MI by Analyzing Saliva

Early diagnosis of a myocardial infarction (MI) may now be possible using only a few drops of saliva and a new nano-biochip, according to a new report.

Researchers at the University of Texas (UT, Austin, USA), in collaboration with scientists and clinicians at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, USA), the University of Louisville (KY, USA), and The University of Texas Health Science Center (San Antonio, TX, USA), took advantage of the recent identification of a number of blood serum proteins that are significant contributors to, and thus indicators of, cardiac disease. By leveraging microelectronics components and microfabrication techniques developed initially for the electronic industry, they developed a series of compact nano-biochip sensor devices that are biochemically-programmed to detect sets of these proteins in saliva.

The researchers then tested saliva from 56 people who had a heart attack and 59 healthy subjects for 32 proteins associated with atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). They found these proteins were in higher concentrations in saliva of heart attack victims, and that specific salivary proteins were as accurate in the diagnosis of heart attack as of those found in blood serum using current testing methods. The test involves saliva transferred to a credit card-sized lab card that holds the nano-biochip. The loaded card is then inserted into an analyzer that manipulates the sample and analyses the patient's cardiac status on the spot. The new sensor was presented at the annual of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held during April 2008 in Dallas (TX, USA).

"Many heart attack victims, especially women, experience nonspecific symptoms and secure medical help too late after permanent damage to the cardiac tissue has occurred,” said principal investigator and designer of the nano-biochip, John McDevitt, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UT. "What's novel here is our ability to measure all such proteins in one setting and to use a noninvasive saliva sample, where low protein levels make such tests difficult even with large and expensive lab instruments.”


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