Gold nanoparticle as an alternative tool for a urine pregnancy test

Abstract

Objective: The urine pregnancy test is an easily available diagnostic test in the present day and is routinely performed. The test is based on an immunochromatography technique. Here, we used an advanced nanomedicine technique for modification of the urine pregnancy test. Materials and Methods: The preparation of gold nanoparticle solution in this study followed the standard method. We performed an experiment on both pregnancy-positive and -negative urine samples. First, a mixture with an equal amount (500 μL) of gold nanoparticle solution and urine sample was prepared. Then, it was further tested for pregnancy by the urine pregnancy test strip. Results: The pregnancy-positive mixture became pink, while the pregnancy-negative mixture became gray. The urine pregnancy test strip for a positive mixture had two lines, while the negative mixture had one line. Conclusion: This application can help the diagnosis of pregnancy and can be an alternative method for a urine pregnancy test. To our knowledge, this is the first report on this application.