Fluorescent Protein Detects Bilirubin in Newborns
By MedImaging International staff writers Posted on 20 Jul 2016 |
Image: UnaG fluorescent protein in eel muscle fibers (Photo courtesy of RIKEN).
UnaG, a fluorescent protein sourced from Japanese freshwater eel muscles, can be used to accurately detect unconjugated bilirubin in newborns, according to a new study.
Developed by researchers at Kobe University (Japan) and the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (Kobe, Japan), UnaG can measure the concentration of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood at a sensitivity 10,000 times that of conventional methods. In clinical trials, the UnaG method showed highly positive correlation with bilirubinoxidase (the current conventional method), and is not affected by phototherapy or interference from conjugated bilirubin, hemoglobin, or lipids.
The study, which analyzed 140 serum samples from 92 newborns, including 35 samples from infants receiving phototherapy, found that just one microliter of blood was sufficient to perform the test, especially useful in newborn patients who can only give limited blood samples. The researchers are also planning to develop a simpler analysis kit that can be used in clinical practice, revolutionizing the monitoring of jaundice in newborn infants. The study was published on June 21, 2016, in Scientific Reports.
“High-performance liquid chromatography is the only method for directly measuring unconjugated bilirubin, but is impractical for routine clinical use,” concluded lead author Sota Iwatani, MD, of the department of pediatrics at Kobe University. “The recently cloned UnaG fluorescent protein from eel muscle specifically binds to the unconjugated, but not the conjugated, form of bilirubin with high affinity. Our findings demonstrate that the UnaG method is highly specific and sensitive and can be useful in a clinical setting.”
Kernicterus, or bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction, is a brain disorder caused by bilirubin neurotoxicity during the neonatal period. The disease has a worldwide prevalence, and its incidence is increasing in developed countries due to the higher survival rates of extremely preterm infants. And although assessment of total bilirubin levels in serum/plasma is the current gold standard for identifying newborns at risk of kernicterus, it is not the most accurate indicator, since it includes both unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin.
Related Links:
Kobe University
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Developed by researchers at Kobe University (Japan) and the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (Kobe, Japan), UnaG can measure the concentration of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood at a sensitivity 10,000 times that of conventional methods. In clinical trials, the UnaG method showed highly positive correlation with bilirubinoxidase (the current conventional method), and is not affected by phototherapy or interference from conjugated bilirubin, hemoglobin, or lipids.
The study, which analyzed 140 serum samples from 92 newborns, including 35 samples from infants receiving phototherapy, found that just one microliter of blood was sufficient to perform the test, especially useful in newborn patients who can only give limited blood samples. The researchers are also planning to develop a simpler analysis kit that can be used in clinical practice, revolutionizing the monitoring of jaundice in newborn infants. The study was published on June 21, 2016, in Scientific Reports.
“High-performance liquid chromatography is the only method for directly measuring unconjugated bilirubin, but is impractical for routine clinical use,” concluded lead author Sota Iwatani, MD, of the department of pediatrics at Kobe University. “The recently cloned UnaG fluorescent protein from eel muscle specifically binds to the unconjugated, but not the conjugated, form of bilirubin with high affinity. Our findings demonstrate that the UnaG method is highly specific and sensitive and can be useful in a clinical setting.”
Kernicterus, or bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction, is a brain disorder caused by bilirubin neurotoxicity during the neonatal period. The disease has a worldwide prevalence, and its incidence is increasing in developed countries due to the higher survival rates of extremely preterm infants. And although assessment of total bilirubin levels in serum/plasma is the current gold standard for identifying newborns at risk of kernicterus, it is not the most accurate indicator, since it includes both unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin.
Related Links:
Kobe University
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Latest Radiography News
- Novel Breast Imaging System Proves As Effective As Mammography
- AI Assistance Improves Breast-Cancer Screening by Reducing False Positives
- AI Could Boost Clinical Adoption of Chest DDR
- 3D Mammography Almost Halves Breast Cancer Incidence between Two Screening Tests
- AI Model Predicts 5-Year Breast Cancer Risk from Mammograms
- Deep Learning Framework Detects Fractures in X-Ray Images With 99% Accuracy
- Direct AI-Based Medical X-Ray Imaging System a Paradigm-Shift from Conventional DR and CT
- Chest X-Ray AI Solution Automatically Identifies, Categorizes and Highlights Suspicious Areas
- AI Diagnoses Wrist Fractures As Well As Radiologists
- Annual Mammography Beginning At 40 Cuts Breast Cancer Mortality By 42%
- 3D Human GPS Powered By Light Paves Way for Radiation-Free Minimally-Invasive Surgery
- Novel AI Technology to Revolutionize Cancer Detection in Dense Breasts
- AI Solution Provides Radiologists with 'Second Pair' Of Eyes to Detect Breast Cancers
- AI Helps General Radiologists Achieve Specialist-Level Performance in Interpreting Mammograms
- Novel Imaging Technique Could Transform Breast Cancer Detection
- Computer Program Combines AI and Heat-Imaging Technology for Early Breast Cancer Detection