Novel Cadmium Telluride Quantum Dot (QD) Fluorescent Probe for the Sensitive Determination of the Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Biomarker Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

The concentration of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) generally increases in the serum of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Hence, AFP is a biomarker for HCC detection, diagnosis, and treatment. However, the sensitivity is unsatisfactory. Here a fluorescent probe based on CdTe quantum dots (QDs-AFPAb) was prepared and a simple sensitive fluorescence immunoassay on nitrocellulose membranes (NFIA) was developed for alpha-fetoprotein. This method exhibited a low detection limit of 2.18 pg/mL with a linear range from 10 to 1.0 × 107 pg/mL. In addition, the sensitivity allowed the identification of HCC and non-HCC serum. This method is sensitive, easy, and low-cost for the diagnosis of HCC.