Simultaneous detection of thyroid-stimulating hormone and C-reactive protein using a multiplex lateral flow device for improved hypothyroidism diagnosis

Abstract

The clinical and medical industries require practical and cost-effective solutions for simultaneous biomarker determination to replace time-consuming conventional testing methods. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, occurs when your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs. Over time, hypothyroidism that isn't treated can lead to other health problems, such as high cholesterol and heart problems. This study introduces a novel, rapid, easy to use and portable multiplex lateral flow device (LFD) designed for the simultaneous detection of Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in human serum to aid in diagnosing hypothyroidism. Designed to meet the clinical need for hypothyroidism as well as rapid, cost-effective screening tools, the multiplex LFD delivers quantitative results within 30 minutes, showing detection limits of 2.1 µIU ml⁻¹ for TSH and 0.007 µg ml⁻¹ for CRP. Preliminary performance using 17 certified serum samples demonstrated a 60–130% recovery rate. The results demonstrate the proof of concept and preliminary performance of the multiplex LFD, positioning this LFD as a significant advancement in the field of point of care (POC) diagnostics for hypothyroidism.