Mass spectrometric determination of tissue states

1. Method for the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states of a tissue sample, the method comprising:

acquiring a mass/mobility map indicative of ion mobility as a function of ion mass at each of a plurality of sample sites of the tissue sample;

determining, at each sample site, signal heights at characteristic signal positions in the corresponding mass/mobility map that include signals originating from at least two chemically distinguishable substances;

determining, using said signal heights, a tissue state for each sample site; and

representing graphically the spatial distribution of the tissue states calculated for the sample sites.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue sample is a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue section after renaturing; a fresh, frozen tissue section; an imprint of a tissue section; or one of the sample areas on a Tissue Microarray (TMA) after renaturing.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue sample is a first tissue sample, and wherein the method further comprises:

(a) acquiring a mass/mobility map at each of a plurality of sample sites of a second tissue sample of a type similar to the first tissue sample, wherein the tissue state for certain predetermined sample sites of the second tissue sample is known;

(b) determining signal heights at a first signal position in the mass/mobility maps of said predetermined sample sites and assigning the signal heights determined at the first signal position to said known tissue state, such that the first signal position becomes one of said characteristic signal positions; and

(c) repeating step (a) for signal positions in the mass/mobility maps of said predetermined sample sites other than the first signal position.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a receiver operating characteristic curve is generated in a univariate statistical analysis for each signal position analyzed, and an analyzed signal position becomes one of the characteristic signal positions if an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve is larger than a specified limit value.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein said known tissue state is distinguishable from another one of said tissue states via a distribution of signal heights at the first signal position.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue state for certain predetermined sample sites of the tissue sample under investigation, and hence for the corresponding mass/mobility maps, is known, and wherein the method further comprises:

(a) determining signal heights at a first signal position in the mass/mobility maps of said predetermined sample sites and assigning said signal heights determined at the first signal position to said known tissue state, such that the first signal position becomes one of said characteristic signal positions; and

(b) repeating step (a) for signal positions in the mass/mobility maps of said predetermined sample sites other than the first signal position.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a receiver operating characteristic curve is generated in a univariate statistical analysis for each signal position analyzed, and an analyzed signal position becomes one of the characteristic signal positions if an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve is larger than a specified limit value.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein said known tissue state is distinguishable from another one of said tissue states via a distribution of signal heights at the first signal position.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein acquiring a mass/mobility map at each of a plurality of sample sites comprises acquiring said mass/mobility maps with a mass spectrometric system which comprises a trapped ion mobility separator (TIMS separator) and a mass analyzer.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the TIMS separator additionally comprises a trapping region, which is spatially separate and upstream of the separation region, and is operated in a mode of operation with parallel accumulation.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein ions of a sample site are accumulated in the additional trapping region while a mass/mobility map of previously accumulated ions of a different sample site is being acquired.

12. The method according to claim 3 wherein the signals at the characteristic signal positions originate from two isomeric substances with the same empirical formula.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein different substance classes are separated at least partially in the mass/mobility maps, and the two or more chemically distinguishable substances originate from one substance class.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the substance classes are peptides, glycans and/or lipids.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the peptides are produced at least partially by an enzymatic digest of the proteins of the tissue sample.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the glycans are produced at least partially by a deglycolyzation of glycoproteins of the tissue sample.

17. Method for the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states of a tissue sample, the method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of mass/mobility maps indicative of ion mobility as a function of ion mass and loading said mass/mobility maps into an electronic data processing system, such that each mass/mobility map is assigned to a sample site of the tissue sample;

determining, for each mass/mobility map, signal heights at characteristic signal positions that include signals originating from at least two chemically distinguishable substances;

determining, using said signal heights, a tissue state for the assigned sample site; and

representing graphically the spatial distribution of the tissue states calculated for the sample sites.