Method for identifying peptides in a biological sample

1. A method for isolating a cargo peptide from a sample containing a cargo peptide-carrier protein complex, comprising:

contacting a sample comprising a cargo peptide-carrier protein complex with a binding moiety selective for the carrier protein, under conditions wherein the carrier protein binds non-covalently to the binding moiety, and wherein the binding moiety is attached to a support,

dissociating the cargo peptide from the cargo peptide-carrier protein complex, wherein the carrier protein remains bound to the binding moiety, and

collecting the cargo peptide, whereby the cargo peptide is isolated from the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding moiety is an ion exchange moiety.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ion exchange moiety is an anion exchange moiety.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the anion exchange moiety comprises a moiety selected from a diethylaminoethyl moiety, a diethylmethylaminoethyl moiety, a diethyl-[2-hydroxypropyl]aminoethyl moiety, an allylamine moiety and a quaternary ammonium moiety.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the anion exchange moiety comprises a quaternary ammonium moiety.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ion exchange moiety is a cation exchange moiety.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cation exchange moiety is selected from the group of a sulfonic acid moiety, a sulfopropyl moiety, a methyl sulfonate moiety, a carboxymethyl moiety and a phosphate moiety.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support is selected from a membrane, gel, particle, surface and matrix.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample further comprises a sample loading solution.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dissociating comprises contacting the cargo peptide-carrier protein complex with an elution solution.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the elution solution has a pH greater than a pH of the sample.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the elution solution comprises an alkaline species.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the alkaline species is selected from the group of ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, a triethylammonium salt, sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the elution solution has a pH lower than a pH of the sample.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the elution solution comprises an acid species.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the acid species is selected from the group of trifluoroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, acetic acid and hydrochloric acid.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier protein is a serum protein.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier protein is selected from a serum albumin, a fibronectin, a transferrin, an immunoglobulin, a Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein, a fibrinogen, an alpha2-macroglobulin, a complement protein, a serpin, a haptoglobin, an alpha1-acid glycoprotein and a cerulopasmin.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is obtained from a human individual.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises a bodily fluid.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the sample comprises plasma or serum.

22. A method for isolating a plurality of cargo peptides from a sample containing cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes, comprising:

contacting a sample comprising cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes with a binding moiety selective for at least one carrier protein, under conditions wherein the at least one carrier protein binds non-covalently to the binding moiety, and wherein the binding moiety is attached to a support;

dissociating the cargo peptides from the cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes, wherein the carrier proteins remain bound to the binding moiety; and

collecting the cargo peptides, whereby the cargo peptides are isolated from the sample.

23. A method for isolating a plurality of cargo peptides from a serum sample, comprising:

contacting a serum sample comprising cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes with an anion exchange moiety selective for at least one carrier protein, under conditions wherein the at least one carrier protein binds non-covalently to the anion exchange moiety, and wherein the anion exchange moiety is attached to a support;

contacting the cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes with an elution solution having a pH greater than that of the sample, whereby the cargo peptides are dissociated from the cargo peptide-carrier protein complexes and the carrier proteins remain bound to the anion exchange moiety; and

collecting the cargo peptides, whereby the cargo peptides are isolated from the serum sample.