Detection of oligosaccharides

1. A process for diagnosing the presence, identity, and/or severity of abnormal glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, accumulation, and/or degradation in an individual, or a disorder thereof, the process comprising the steps of:

a) generating a biomarker in a biological sample from the individual by treating a population of glycosaminoglycans, in or isolated from the biological sample with at least one digesting glycosaminoglycan lyase;

b) selecting one or more non-reducing end saturated oligosaccharides as a biomarker, wherein prior to lyase treatment, the biomarker is not present in abundance in samples from individuals with abnormal glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, accumulation, and/or degradation relative to normal individuals; and

c) using an analytical instrument to measure the amount of the biomarker produced and displaying or recording a measure of a population of the biomarker;

wherein the measure of the amount of the biomarker is utilized to determine the presence, identity, and/or severity of the disorder associated with abnormal glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, accumulation, and/or degradation;

wherein the process is a process for diagnosing the presence, identity, and/or severity of an abnormal glycosaminoglycan accumulation disorder, which disorder is a lysosomal storage disorder or is a disorder associated with amyloidosis;

wherein when the lysosomal storage disorder is a MPS I, MPS IIIA, MPS IIIB, MPS IIID, MPS IVA, MPS IVB, MPS VI, MPS VII, or MPS IX disorder; and

wherein the MPS IIIA biomarker is a saturated trisaccharide; the MPS IIIB biomarker is a saturated trisaccharide; the MPS I biomarker is saturated IdoA-GlcNS(± 6 S); and the biomarker for MPS IIID is selected from

the biomarker for MPS VII is selected from

the biomarker for MPS IVA is selected from

the biomarker for MPS IVB is selected from

the biomarker for MPS VIA is selected from

and the biomarker for MPS VII is selected from

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process is a process for diagnosing the presence, identity, and/or severity of an abnormal glycosaminoglycan accumulation disorder, which is an MPS disorder.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the disorder is Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the saturated oligosaccharide biomarker is generated by treating a population of heparan sulfate oligosaccharides with at least one heparan sulfate digesting lyase.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the saturated oligosaccharide biomarker is generated by treating a population of chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides with at least one chondroitin sulfate digesting lyase.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the saturated oligosaccharide biomarker is generated by treating a population of dermatan sulfate oligosaccharides with at least one dermatan sulfate digesting lyase.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises purifying a population of oligosaccharides in the biological sample that has been treated with the at least one digesting glycosaminoglycan lyase, the biological sample comprising the isolated population of oligosaccharides.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein glycosaminoglycans of the biological sample are purified using chromatography or electrophoresis prior to treatment with the glycosaminoglycan lyase.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises tagging the reducing end or non-reducing end of a representative portion of the one or more oligosaccharides in the biological sample with a detectable label.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the detectable label is a mass label, a radio label, a fluorescent label, a chromophore label, or affinity label.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process for diagnosing the severity of abnormal glycosaminoglycan accumulation in an individual is a method of diagnosing an individual as a heterozygous carrier of a disorder associated with abnormal glycosaminoglycan accumulation.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the biomarker is generated by treating a population of heparan sulfate and comprises saturated IdoA-GlcNS(±6S).

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the biomarker is generated by treating a population of heparan sulfate and is selected from the group consisting of saturated GlcNS-UA-Glc(NAc/S)(±6S), and saturated GlcNAc-UA-Glc(NAc/S)(±6S) wherein UA (uronic acid) is IdoA(±2S) or GlcA, and Glc(NAc/S) is GlcNAc or GlcNS.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the abnormal glycosaminoglycan accumulation is caused by abnormal biosynthesis and/or abnormal degradation of glycosaminoglycans.

15. A process for monitoring the treatment of a disorder associated with the abnormal degradation, biosynthesis and/or accumulation of glycosaminoglycans, the process comprising the steps of:

a) generating a biomarker in a biological sample from the individual by treating a population of glycosaminoglycans, in or isolated from the biological sample with at least one digesting glycosaminoglycan lyase;

b) selecting one or more non-reducing end saturated oligosaccharides as a biomarker, wherein prior to lyase treatment, the biomarker is not present in abundance in samples from individuals with abnormal degradation, biosynthesis and/or accumulation of glycosaminoglycans relative to normal individuals; and

c) using an analytical instrument to measure the amount of the biomarker produced and displaying or recording a measure of a population of the biomarker;

wherein the measure of the amount of the biomarker is utilized to determine the presence, identity, and/or severity of the disorder associated with abnormal degradation, biosynthesis and/or accumulation of glycosaminoglycans

wherein the disorder is a lysosomal storage disorder or is a disorder associated with amyloidosis;

wherein when the lysosomal storage disorder is a MPS I, MPS IIIA, MPS IIIB, MPS IIID, MPS IVA, MPS IVB, MPS VI, MPS VII, or MPS IX disorder; and

wherein the MPS IIIA biomarker is a saturated trisaccharide; the MPS IIIB biomarker is a saturated trisaccharide; the MPS I biomarker is saturated IdoA-GlcNS(± 6 S); and the biomarker for MPS IIID is selected from

the biomarker for MPS VII is selected from

the biomarker for MPS IVA is selected from

the biomarker for MPS IVB is selected from

the biomarker for MPS VIA is selected from

and the biomarker for MPS VII is selected from