MEASUREMENT OF MYELOPEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN WOUND FLUID USING A POLYVINYL ALCOHOL-STABILIZED, GLUCOSE OXIDASE-IMMOBILIZED PAPER-BASED PLATFORM

Abstract

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a key biomarker of inflammation and infection in wound fluids. This study presents the development of a paper-based colorimetric assay for MPO detection. The assay employs a TMB-based system with glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), enabling stable hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation during analysis. The results demonstrated a linear response from 0 to 5 U/mL (R² = 0.9812), a detection limit of 0.027 U/mL, a quantitation limit of 0.055 U/mL, and good precision (%CV < 5%). While glucose and creatinine exhibited minimal interference, hemoglobin, uric acid, and ascorbic acid caused significant interference. Hemoglobin interference was minimized by applying a secondary wavelength of 415 nm for background subtraction. Analysis of wound fluid samples enabled clear differentiation between non-infected and infected cases. These findings indicate that the platform has potential as a point-of-care (POC) tool for monitoring clinical wound status. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and the implementation of dual-wavelength measurements or sample dilution techniques are required to address interference prior to clinical application.

Keywords: Wound Fluid, Myeloperoxidase, Paper-based Analytical Device (PADs), Glucose Oxidase Immobilization, Polyvinyl Alcohol