Linear quantification of a streptavidin–alkaline phosphatase probe for enzyme-linked immuno mass spectrometric assay

Abstract

The alkaline phosphatase–streptavidin (AP–SA) probe released adenosine (∼267.2 Da) from the substrate adenosine monophosphate (AMP), where a signal may be detected from as little as 0.5 μl of a 0.1-pg/ml dilution of the probe (2.6 × 10−22 mol). The signal from the AP–SA probe was linear from 1 to 50 pg/ml by monitoring adenosine release at 268 m/z (M + H) with liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization, and quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS). The safe limit of detection and quantification of the AP–SA probe was approximately 0.5 pg/well or 5 pg/ml. Enzyme-linked immuno mass spectrometric assay (ELIMSA) using the AP–SA probe provided a linear signal response for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) against external standards from 1 to 500 pg/ml. The ELIMSA showed a safe limit of detection and quantification at 5 pg PSA/well or 50 pg/ml (false positive detection rate P ≤ 0.01). Female samples of 100 μl plasma/well were read against standards and blanks made in normal female plasma, and the lowest sample quantified was approximately 9.8 pg/well or 98 pg/ml. Here ELIMSA was applied to measure PSA in plasma from female, normal male, prostatectomy patient, and cancer patient samples that showed significant differences by analysis of variance (ANOVA).