Issue 5, 2022

Microfluidic capture of chromatin fibres measures neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released in a drop of human blood

Abstract

Neutrophils are the largest population of white blood cells in the circulation, and their primary function is to protect the body from microbes. They can release the chromatin in their nucleus, forming characteristic web structures and trap microbes, contributing to antimicrobial defenses. The chromatin webs are known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Importantly, neutrophils can also release NETs in pathological conditions related to rheumatic diseases, atherosclerosis, cancer, and sepsis. Thus, determining the concentration of NETs in the blood is increasingly important for monitoring patients, evaluating treatment efficacy, and understanding the pathology of various diseases. However, traditional methods for measuring NETs require separating cells and plasma from blood, are prone to sample preparation artifacts, and cannot distinguish between intact and degraded NETs. Here, we design a microfluidic analytical tool that captures NETs mechanically from a drop of blood and measures the amount of intact NETs unbiased by the presence of degraded NETs in the sample.

Graphical abstract: Microfluidic capture of chromatin fibres measures neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released in a drop of human blood

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 dec 2021
Accepted
11 jan 2022
First published
14 jan 2022

Lab Chip, 2022,22, 936-944

Microfluidic capture of chromatin fibres measures neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released in a drop of human blood

M. Sakuma, X. Wang, F. Ellett, J. F. Edd, K. A. Babatunde, A. Viens, M. K. Mansour and D. Irimia, Lab Chip, 2022, 22, 936 DOI: 10.1039/D1LC01123E

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