Gas plasma-induced platelet activation corresponds to reactive species profiles and lipid oxidation

Surgical-induced hemostasis is a critical step in the closure of incisions, which is frequently achieved via electrocauterization and subsequent tissue necrotization. The latter is associated with postoperative complications. Recent in vivo work suggested reactive species-producing gas plasma technology as a pro-homeostatic agent acting via platelet activation. However, it remained elusive how platelet activation is linked to lipid and protein oxidation and the reactive species compositions. A direct relation between the reactive species composition and platelet activation was revealed by assessing the production of several reactive species and by using antioxidants. In addition, platelet lipidome and proteome analysis identified significantly regulated key lipids in the platelet activation pathway, such as diacylglycerols and phosphatidylinositol as well as oxylipins like thromboxanes. Lipid oxidation products mainly derived from phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine species were observed at modest levels. In addition, oxidative post-translational modifications were identified on key proteins of the hemostasis machinery. This study provides new insights into oxidation-induced platelet activation in general and suggests a potential role of those processes in gas plasma-mediated hemostasis in particular.

On-line duplex molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction for analysis of low-abundant biomarkers in human serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In the present work, a pair of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) targeting distinct peptide targets were packed into trap columns and combined for automated duplex analysis of two low abundant small cell lung cancer biomarkers (neuron-specific enolase [NSE] and progastrin-releasing peptide [ProGRP]). Optimization of the on-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) protocol ensured that the MIPs had the necessary affinity and selectivity towards their respective signature peptide targets - NLLGLIEAK (ProGRP) and ELPLYR (NSE) - in serum. Two duplex formats were evaluated: a physical mixture of the two MIPs (1:1 w/w ratio) inside a single trap column, and two separate MIP trap columns connected in series. Both duplex formats enabled the extraction of the peptides from serum. However, the trap columns in series gave superior extraction efficiency (85.8±3.8% and 49.1±6.7% for NLLGLIEAK and ELPLYR, respectively). The optimized protocol showed satisfactory intraday (RSD≤23.4 %) and interday (RSD≤14.6%) precision. Duplex analysis of NSE and ProGRP spiked into digested human serum was linear (R²≥0.98) over the disease range (0.3-30 nM). The estimated limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.11 nM and 0.37 nM, respectively, for NSE, and 0.06 nM and 0.2 nM, respectively, for ProGRP. Both biomarkers were determined at clinically relevant levels. To the best of our knowledge, the present work is the first report of an automated MIP duplex biomarker analysis. It represents a proof of concept for clinically viable duplex analysis of low abundant biomarkers present in human serum or other biofluids.

Facilitating serum determination of neuron specific enolase at clinically relevant levels by coupling on-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction to LC-MS/MS

The identification and quantification of biomarkers is essential for the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term monitoring of many human diseases. In the present work, macromolecular synthetic receptors with pre-determined affinity and selectivity for the signature peptide of a prognostically significant small cell lung cancer (SCLC) biomarker - neuron-specific enolase (NSE) - were prepared in a porous polymer microsphere format using a template-directed synthesis strategy performed under precipitation polymerization conditions. The polymer microspheres were packed into short trap columns and then exploited as molecularly selective sorbents in a fully automated, on-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) protocol. The on-line MISPE protocol was optimised with respect to the composition of the loading mobile phase, the flow rate, and the extraction time. The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) showed high affinity and useful selectivity for the peptide target - the hexapeptide ELPLYR - compared to non-imprinted control polymers. The MIPs were able to retain the biomarker on-column for extraction times of up to 20 min, and the on-line MISPE method enabled complete recovery of the biomarker over the linear range 10-100 ng mL^-1 when the biomarker was present in spiked ammonium bicarbonate solution (R² = 0.994). For extractions of ELPLYR from very complex biological matrices, the recoveries of ELPLYR from reversed-phase SPE (RP-SPE)-treated and untreated digested human serum were 100.8 ± 6.2% and 61.6 ± 1.9%, respectively. Extractions of ELPLYR from spiked untreated digested serum were linear in the range of 7.5-375 ng mL^-1 (R² = 0.99). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the biomarker in digested serum were estimated to be 1.8 ng mL^-1 and 6.0 ng mL^-1, respectively, which is below the median reference level of NSE in humans (8.6 ng mL^-1). This work sets in place the basis for a new diagnostic tool for SCLC that is sensitive, robust, automated, and antibody-free, and which works very well with complex human plasma samples.

Magnetic Synthetic Receptors for Selective Clean-Up in Protein Biomarker Quantification

Biomarker analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) can allow for the rapid quantification of low abundant biomarkers. However, the complexity of human serum is a limiting factor in MS-based bioanalysis; therefore, novel biomarker enrichment strategies are of interest, particularly if the enrichment strategies are of low cost and are easy to use. One such strategy involves the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as synthetic receptors for biomarker enrichment. In the present study, a magnetic solid-phase extraction (mSPE) platform, based on magnetic MIP (mMIP) sorbents, is disclosed, for use in the MS-based quantification of proteins by the bottom-up approach. Progastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP), a low abundant and clinically sensitive biomarker for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), was used to exemplify the mSPE platform. Four different mMIPs were synthesized, and an mSPE method was developed and optimized for the extraction of low concentrations of tryptic peptides from human serum. The mSPE method enabled the selective extraction of the ProGRP signature peptide, the nonapeptide NLLGLIEAK, prior to quantification of the target via LC-MS/MS. Overall, the mSPE method demonstrated its potential as a low cost, rapid, and straightforward sample preparation method, with demonstrably strong binding, acceptable recoveries, and good compatibility with MS. mMIPs are a potential low-cost alternative to current clinical methods for biomarker analysis.