Development of a label-free immunosensor based on surface plasmon resonance technique for the detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in canine serum

In this work, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor was developed using an 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA) modified gold SPR sensor chip for the detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies. The soluble antigens of L. infantum were securely immobilized on an SPR gold disk by an 11-MUA self-assembled monolayer. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) techniques were employed in the characterization of the antigen immobilization. After the immunosensor construction, canine serum positive for visceral leishmaniasis was added to its surface and showed significant variation in the SPR angle, indicating excellent sensitivity of the technique for antigen–antibody interaction detection. Moreover, the addition of negative serum was accompanied by a smaller response, demonstrating that the immunosensor shows good specificity against anti-L. infantum antibodies. Therefore, this work demonstrates the successful development of an SPR sensor for anti-L. infantum antibodies detection in short time, showing a great perspective as a sensing system of visceral leishmaniasis in endemic regions.

► A new SPR sensor for anti-L. infantum antibodies detection.
► Surface scans with SECM demonstrate the immobilization of L. infantum antigens.
► The sensor showed good response, allowing analysis of interactions in real time.
► The sensor showed a great perspective as a sensing system to VLC in endemic regions.