Comprehensive Analysis of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles

Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) are used as a new class of liquid biopsy markers with promising applications in disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. However, researchers lack knowledge about the particle size distribution, particle concentration, and biochemical phenotypes of uEVs at the nanoscale due to the lack of corresponding characterization techniques. EVs are highly individual,  implying an urgent need for the development of high-throughput, multi-parameter single particle detection technologies. In this study, multi-parameter quantitative characterization of uEVs purified by ultracentrifugation at the single particle level was performed using the Flow NanoAnalyzer to obtain comprehensive information on their purity, concentration, particle size, and contents. 

Figure 1. The size distribution of uEVs

                                                             Figure 2. Purity and concentration analysis of uEVs                        Figure 3. Nucleic Acids analysis of uEVs                                               

Figure 4. Protein marker analysis of uEVs

In this study the positive rates of uEVs for CD9, CD63, CD81 and CD24 were 26. 8%, 21. 0%, 6. 0% and 19. 9%, respectively. The Flow NanoAnalyzer may provides a platform to help further the research of the biochemical properties and clinical application of uEVs.

CHINESE J ANAL CHEM, 2021, 48(10), 1305-1314.