Honors College Thesis
 

Improving the sensitivity in a paper-based Test for the home monitoring of phenylalanine levels in phenylketonuria patients

Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/2b88qf30q

Descriptions

Attribute NameValues
Creator
Abstract
  • Monitoring phenylalanine (Phe) levels in the blood of individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) is a critical component of therapy. Existing tests for PKU require high-resource laboratories, which are not available to many populations and cannot provide the real-time feedback required for effective therapy monitoring. It would be ideal to develop an instrument-free, rapid and simple test for PKU patients to monitor their Phe levels. A paper-based test is being developed that provides a semi-quantitative output of the concentration of Phe from a sample of whole blood. Users will be able to measure the concentration of Phe in a blood sample by measuring the intensity of color produced using an instrument designed for colorimetric readout. This test utilizes two chemical reactions, an enzyme-based reaction and a colorimetric reaction, to produce a visible output for clinically relevant concentration ranges of Phe in a sample. This study focuses on (i) determining the sensitivity of different colorimetric indicators in the colorimetric reaction, and (ii) optimizing the reaction time and enzyme concentration in the enzymatic reaction for sensitivity. This study also investigates the effect of surfactants, which can be used to affect fluid flow between materials – on the assay signal. Improvements to the developing test are recommended for increasing the difference between colorimetric signal produced at the clinically relevant blood Phe levels. Results suggest the benefits of a colorimetric indicator and electron mediator concentration, as well as a greater reaction time and enzyme concentration. Results also found that two surfactants did not affect the signal produced from the chemical and enzymatic reactions. The developing test has the potential to improve the care of PKU patients by allowing them to frequently monitor their Phe concentration levels and appropriately adjust their therapy. Key Words: phenylketonuria, diagnostic test, phenylalanine detection, lateral flow test, colorimetric intensity-based test
  • Keywords: phenylketonuria, diagnostic test, phenylalanine detection, lateral flow test, colorimetric intensity-based test
License
Resource Type
Date Available
Date Issued
Degree Level
Degree Name
Degree Field
Degree Grantor
Commencement Year
Advisor
Non-Academic Affiliation
Rights Statement
Funding Statement (additional comments about funding)
  • Oregon State University, Pete and Rosalie Johnson, National Phenylketonuria Alliance
Publisher
Peer Reviewed
Language
Replaces

Relationships

Parents:

This work has no parents.

In Collection:

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details WongLiamH2017.pdf 2017-07-30 Public Download