The use of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry to detect putative breast cancer markers in saliva: a feasibility study

• Published in: Journal of oral pathology & medicine Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 292 - 300
• Main Authors: Streckfus, Charles F., Bigler, Lenora R., Zwick, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2006; Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - chemistry; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Carcinoma in Situ - chemistry; Carcinoma in Situ - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - chemistry; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - diagnosis; Case-Control Studies; Cell Line, Tumor; Dentistry; Feasibility Studies; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pilot Projects; Protein Array Analysis; Saliva - chemistry; saliva proteome; Salivary Proteins and Peptides - analysis; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry; Tumors; Human; saliva proteome; Stomatology; biomarkers; Biological marker; Exploration; Proteome; ENT; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Laser desorption; Mammary gland diseases; Feasibility; Saliva; Mass spectrometry; surface- enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 0904-2512; 1600-0714
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2006.00427.x

Background:  Technologies are now available enabling saliva to be used to diagnose disease, predict disease progression, and monitor therapeutic efficacy. This pilot study describes the use of surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (SELDI) to detect putative breast cancer markers in saliva. Methods:  Salivary specimens were analyzed as either pooled cancer saliva specimens, or individual specimens from healthy women and women diagnosed with carcinoma of the breast. The specimens were applied to a variety of protein chip arrays, washed extensively to remove unbound analytes and analyzed on a SELDI mass spectrometer. Results:  The results of this initial study suggest that the WCX protein chip array prepared and washed at pH 3.5 yielded the most promising results. Additionally, the analyses revealed a number of proteins that were higher in intensity among the cancer subjects when compared with controls. These salivary proteins were present at the 18, 113, 170, 228 and 287 km/z ranges using SELDI analyses. Conclusions:  The study suggests that saliva may be useful for high‐throughput biomarker discovery.