👤 Holger A Ebhardt

PromarkerD is a novel proteomics derived blood test for predicting diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The test is based on an algorithm that combines the measurement of three plasma protein biomarkers (CD5L, APOA4, and IBP3) with three clinical variables (age, HDL-cholesterol, and eGFR). The initial format of the assay used immunodepletion of plasma samples followed by targeted mass spectrometry (MRM-LCMS). The aim of this study was to convert the existing assay into an immunoaffinity approach compatible with higher throughput and robust clinical application. A newly optimised immunoaffinity-based assay was developed in a 96 well format with MRM measurements made using a low-flow LCMS method. The stability, reproducibility and precision of the assay was evaluated. A direct comparison between the immunoaffinity method and the original immunodepletion method was conducted on a 100-person cohort. Subsequently, an inter-lab study was performed of the optimised immunoaffinity method in two independent laboratories. Processing of plasma samples was greatly simplified by switching to an immunoaffinity bead capture method, coupled to a faster and more robust microflow LCMS system. Processing time was reduced from seven to two days and the chromatography reduced from 90 to 8 min. Biomarker stability by temperature and time difference treatments passed acceptance criteria. Intra/Inter-day test reproducibility and precision were within 11% CV for all biomarkers. PromarkerD test results from the new immunoaffinity method demonstrated excellent correlation (R = 0.96) to the original immunodepletion method. The immunoaffinity assay was successfully transferred to a second laboratory (R = 0.98) demonstrating the robustness of the methodology and ease of method transfer. An immunoaffinity capture targeted mass spectrometry assay was developed and optimised. It showed statistically comparable results to those obtained from the original immunodepletion method and was also able to provide comparable results when deployed to an independent laboratory. Taking a research grade assay and optimising to a clinical grade workflow provides insights into the future of multiplex biomarker measurement with an immunoaffinity mass spectrometry foundation. In the current format the PromarkerD immunoaffinity assay has the potential to make a significant impact on prediction of diabetic kidney disease with consequent benefit to patients. Show less

Current bovine pregnancy detection methods are not reliable until at least day 28 post artificial insemination (AI). The bovine estrous cycle is approximately 21 days; consequently, producers miss an opportunity to rebreed at the next estrous event. Therefore, commercial interest exists for the discovery of novel biomarkers of pregnancy which could reliably detect pregnancy status at or before day 21 of pregnancy. The objective of the present study was to use liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to perform a global, label-free, proteomics study on (i) milk whey and (ii) extracellular vesicle (EV) enriched milk whey samples, from day 21 of pregnancy, compared with day 21 of the estrous cycle, in order to identify potential protein biomarkers of early pregnancy. The estrous cycles of 10 dairy cows were synchronized, they went through one (control) estrous cycle and these cows were artificially inseminated during the following estrus. These cows were confirmed pregnant by ultrasound scanning. Milk whey samples were collected on day 21 of the estrous cycle and on day 21 post AI. Milk whey samples and EV enriched milk whey samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS and subsequent analyzes of the label-free quantitative data was performed in MaxQuant and Perseus. Four proteins (APOB, SPADH1, PLIN2 and LPO) were differentially expressed between the proteomes of milk whey from day 21 of pregnancy and day 21 of the estrous cycle (P < 0.05). Ten proteins (PIGR, PGD, QSOX1, MUC1, SRPRA, MD2, GAPDH, FOLR1, GPRC5B and HHIPL2) were differentially expressed between the proteomes of EV enriched milk whey from day 21 of pregnancy and day 21 of the estrous cycle (P < 0.05). These proteins are potential milk whey biomarkers of early pregnancy. Show less