An anti-interference fluorescent probe for point-of-care diagnosis of albuminuria

ABSTRACT Determination of albuminuria at the point-of-care can provide an early diagnosis and monitor the quality management of numerous diseases. Yet for most fluorescent probes, the detection accuracy is not reliable, since urine itself exhibits very strong endogenous fluorescence causing a considerable interference on response signal. We herein report a novel fluorescent probe DNC with an enhanced environmental sensitivity and red-shifted wavelength (> 600 nm) by enlarging its transition dipole moment. The DNC could selectively bind with drug sites of albumin, causing a significant fluorescence enhancement without the interference from urinary fluorescence. Based on this sensing approach, albuminuria could be directly diagnosed at the point-of-care by using a simple homemade test system (even by naked eyes) without complicate pretreatment of urine.