Quantitation of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor-II with high-resolution mass spectrometry

1. A method for determining an amount of an insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) protein in a serum or plasma sample, the method comprising:

subjecting IGF-II protein in the sample to ionization by electron ionization, chemical ionization, electrospray ionization, photon ionization, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, photoionization, atmospheric pressure photoionization, fast atom bombardment, liquid secondary ionization, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization, field ionization, field desorption, thermospray/plasmaspray ionization, surface enhanced laser desorption ionization, inductively coupled plasma, or particle beam ionization to produce one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry; and

determining an amount of the one or more IGF-II ions by high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry, wherein the amount of the determined one or more IGF-II ions is related to the amount of the IGF-II protein in the sample, wherein:

the one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry are selected from the group consisting of IGF-II ions with mass to charge ratios of 934.69±2, 1068.07±2, 1245.92±2, and 1494.89±2, or

the one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry are selected from the group consisting of IGF-II ions with mass to charge ratios of 934.69±1, 1068.07±1, 1245.92±1, and 1494.89±1, or

the one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry are selected from the group consisting of IGF-II ions with mass to charge ratios of 1067.36±0.1, 1067.51±0.1, 1067.65±0.1, 1067.80±0.1, 1067.94±0.1, 1068.08±0.1, 1068.23±0.1, 1068.37±0.1, 1068.51±0.1, 1068.65±0.1, 1068.80±0.1, 1068.94±0.1, and 1069.08±0.1.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IGF-II protein is a human IGF-II protein.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IGF-II protein is native to the sample, and/or wherein the IGF-II protein is an intact IGF-II protein.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IGF-II protein is chemically modified prior to ionization.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chemical modification comprises reduction of one or more disulfide bridges in the IGF-II protein, or wherein the chemical modification comprises alkylation of one or more cysteines in the IGF-II protein.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sample is further purified by HPLC and/or SPE prior to ionization and said SPE and/or HPLC are conducted with on-line processing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IGF-II protein from said sample is purified with solid phase extraction (SPE) prior to ionization, and/or wherein the IGF-II protein from said sample is purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) prior to ionization.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry is conducted with an orbitrap mass spectrometer or with a time of flight mass spectrometer, or with an orbitrap or time of flight mass analyzer capable of a FWHM of greater than or equal to 20,000 and an accuracy of less than or equal to 10 ppm, or with an orbitrap or time of flight mass analyzer capable of a FWHM of greater than or equal to 20,000 and an accuracy of less than or equal to 5 ppm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining the amount of one or more IGF-II comprises collecting spectrometric data from one or more peaks with each peak resulting from an isotopic form of an ion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein two or more peaks each resulting from a different isotopic form of an ion are used to confirm the identity of the IGF-II protein, or wherein spectrometric data from a peak resulting from a single isotopic form is used to determine the amount of the IGF-II protein in said sample, or wherein spectrometric data from two or more peaks each resulting from a different isotopic form are used to determine the amount of the IGF-II protein in said sample.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sample comprises a biological fluid, or wherein said sample comprises plasma or serum.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry comprise one or more IGF-II ions in a 8+, 7+, 6+, or 5+ charge state.

13. A method for determining an amount of an insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) protein in a serum or plasma sample, the method comprising:

subjecting IGF-II protein in the sample to ionization by electron ionization, chemical ionization, electrospray ionization, photon ionization, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, photoionization, atmospheric pressure photoionization, fast atom bombardment, liquid secondary ionization, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization, field ionization, field desorption, thermospray/plasmaspray ionization, surface enhanced laser desorption ionization, inductively coupled plasma, or particle beam ionization to produce one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry; and

determining an amount of the one or more IGF-II ions by high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry;

wherein the amount of the determined one or more IGF-II ions is related to the amount of the IGF-II protein in the sample; and

the one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry are selected from the group consisting of IGF-II ions with mass to charge ratios of 1067.94±0.1 and 1068.08±0.1.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the IGF-II protein is a human IGF-II protein.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the IGF-II protein is native to the sample, and/or wherein the IGF-II protein is an intact IGF-II protein.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the IGF-II protein is chemically modified prior to ionization.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the chemical modification comprises reduction of one or more disulfide bridges in the IGF-II protein, or wherein the chemical modification comprises alkylation of one or more cysteines in the IGF-II protein.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said sample is further purified by HPLC and/or SPE prior to ionization and said SPE and/or HPLC are conducted with on-line processing.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the IGF-II protein from said sample is purified with solid phase extraction (SPE) prior to ionization, and/or wherein the IGF-II protein from said sample is purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) prior to ionization.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein said high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry is conducted with an orbitrap mass spectrometer or with a time of flight mass spectrometer, or with an orbitrap or time of flight mass analyzer capable of a FWHM of greater than or equal to 20,000 and an accuracy of less than or equal to 10 ppm, or with an orbitrap or time of flight mass analyzer capable of a FWHM of greater than or equal to 20,000 and an accuracy of less than or equal to 5 ppm.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein said determining the amount of one or more IGF-II comprises collecting spectrometric data from one or more peaks with each peak resulting from an isotopic form of an ion.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein two or more peaks each resulting from a different isotopic form of an ion are used to confirm the identity of the IGF-II protein, or wherein spectrometric data from a peak resulting from a single isotopic form is used to determine the amount of the IGF-II protein in said sample, or wherein spectrometric data from two or more peaks each resulting from a different isotopic form are used to determine the amount of the IGF-II protein in said sample.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein said sample comprises a biological fluid, or wherein said sample comprises plasma or serum.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein said one or more IGF-II ions detectable by mass spectrometry comprise one or more IGF-II ions in a 8+, 7+, 6+, or 5+ charge state.