The identification of serum tuftsin by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
We describe for the first time a method for unambiguously identifying the phagocytic stimulating tetrapeptide tuftsin from trypsinized human serum. The method consists of separating serum tuftsin by reverse-phase (RP)-HPLC, collecting HPLC fractions corresponding to the synthetic tuftsin retention time, and then subjecting those fractions to mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, which provides optimal molecular specificity to the measurement. Although quantification was not the goal, it was estimated that the amount of tuftsin found by RP-HPLC and MS/MS was in the hundreds of nanograms per milliliter.
Naim
J O
JO
Department of Surgery, Rochester General Hospital, New York 14621.
Desiderio
D M
DM
Trimble
J
J
Hinshaw
J R
JR
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D014405:Tuftsin / Q000097:blood*
D014405:Tuftsin