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Rapid determination of transferrin isoforms by immunoaffinity liquid chromatography and electrospray mass
J M Lacey1, H R Bergen, M J Magera
1Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Biomedical Mass Spectrometry and Functional Proteomics Facility, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Background:
Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are autosomal recessive disorders that produce increased serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) isoforms. Methods to resolve CDT from fully glycosylated transferrin (Trf) have been based on a neutral shift in the isoelectric focusing (IEF) pattern or on a reduction in the negative charge, allowing resolution by anion-exchange chromatography. Our purpose was to develop a method of resolution and relative quantification of Trf isoforms using online immunoaffinity liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
Methods:
Serum (25 microL) was diluted with 100 microL of water before application to an immunoaffinity column that sequestered Trf isoforms. Trf isoforms were eluted from the immunoaffinity column, concentrated on a C4 column, eluted from the C4 column, and introduced into the mass spectrometer. Analysis of the Trf isoforms was entirely automated and completed in <10 min per sample.
Results:
The LC-MS method demonstrated that the major abnormal Trf isoforms in CDG lack one complete oligosaccharide structure (mono-oligosaccharide) or both oligosaccharide structures (a-oligosaccharide), but not the sialic acids, as presumed on the basis of IEF methods. Calculation of relative ratios among three possible species (mono-/di-oligosaccharide and a-/di-oligosaccharide) is reproducible [mean intra- and interassay CVs were 9.3% (n = 10) and 10% (n = 5), respectively]. A reference range for patients <18 years was determined by analysis of 209 samples (for mono-/di-oligosaccharide, the median was 0.041 and the range was 0.018-0.083; for a-/di-oligosaccharide, the median was 0.007 and the range was 0.002-0.036). Comparison of data obtained with an affinity chromatography-IEF method and the LC-MS method demonstrated equivalence in the interpreted results (n = 170).
Conclusions:
Advantages of the LC-MS method include improved sensitivity, minimal sample preparation, and an analysis time of <10 min. The method was automated, which allowed high throughput, with >100 samples analyzed in a single day. Moreover, the nature of the oligosaccharide defect in CDG is accurately reflected by mass resolution, and subtle oligosaccharide truncations may also be detected by this method.