title: Biomarker discovery from body fluids using mass spectrometry.
abstract: Systems analysis of body fluids by mass spectrometry (MS) is an upcoming field of biomarker research. This approach is extremely attractive because it does not require biomarker candidates and the sample preparation is simple. However, during the development of the technique strong critical comments were made on the poor reproducibility, the special characteristics of blood as a source of peptides and on the frequent non-adequate statistical analysis of the data. Here we discuss the efforts made in the last few years to develop suitable protocols, which could lead to biomarker discovery from body fluids by mass spectrometry. Our review focuses on the systems analysis of non-digested blood serum or plasma samples by MALDI-TOF and SELDI-TOF.
authors.affiliation: Histone modifications group, Adolf-Butenandt Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Schillerstr 44, 80336 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villar-Garea
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griese
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imhof
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D010455:Peptides