Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry was used to verify the relative abundance of the targets GGH, PON3, FCN3, PGLYRP2, CERU, MASP1 and the immunoglobulins KVD30, KV240 and LV403, in the serum samples. A1GB, ALB were also measured as reference proteins, and fibrinogen and HBB as quality measures for potential plasma contamination/selection and hemolysis, respectively. Heavy-labeled synthetic peptides (lysine 13C6 15N2 and arginine 13C6 15N4) peptides were obtained for the targets
... of interest (PEPotec, Grade 2, Thermo Fischer Scientific). The targets were selected on the basis of the detection of their differential expression in the data-dependent LC-MS/MS measurements. Skyline software was used to create the scheduled method for data acquisition and process the data, i.e. to check the peak assignments and their integration.
The trypsin digested samples from both the discovery and follow-up analyses were spiked with synthetic heavy labelled analogues of the peptide targets and a retention time standards (MSRT1, Sigma) for scheduled selected reaction monitoring. The LC-MS/MS analyses were conducted using an Easy-nLC 1000 liquid chromatograph (Thermo Scientific) coupled to a TSQ Vantage Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (Thermo Scientific). The column configuration included a 20 x 0.1 mm i.d. pre-column in conjunction with a 150 mm x 75 µm i.d. analytical column, both packed with 5 µm Reprosil C18-bonded silica (Dr Maisch GmbH). The following separation gradient was employed at a flow rate of 300 nl/min; from 5% to 21% B in 11 min, then to 36% B in 9 min, to 100% in 2 min, then ending with an 8 min isocratic period. The mobile phase compositions were the same as those used for the DDA analysis. The estimated injected amounts was 250 ng of endogenous sample, spiked with 50 fmol of synthetic peptides.[Show more]