Methods of oligosaccharide profiling for the detection of cancer

1. A method for determining a stage, type, or strain of cancer in an individual, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a mass spectrum of oligosaccharides from a plurality of glycoproteins in a serum sample from said individual using MALDI-FTMS, wherein the oligosaccharides have been selectively released from said plurality of glycoproteins; and

(b) comparing the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides to a mass spectrum profile of oligosaccharides from at least one known stage, type, or strain of cancer,

wherein said stage, type, or strain of cancer is determined by a similarity between the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides and the mass spectrum profile of oligosaccharides from said at least one known stage, type, or strain of cancer.

2. The method of 1 , wherein said strain of cancer is a strain of ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said type of cancer is a type of adenocarcinoma.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said adenocarcinoma is ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

5. The method of 1 , wherein said stage of cancer is a stage of ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oligosaccharides are selected from the group consisting of O-linked oligosaccharides, N-linked oligosaccharides, free oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof.

7. A method for diagnosing cancer in an individual, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a mass spectrum of oligosaceharides from a plurality of glycoproteins in a serum sample from said individual using MALDI-FTMS, wherein the oligosaceharides have been selectively released from said plurality of glycoproteins; and

(b) comparing the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides to a mass spectrum profile of oligosaccharides from a control sample,

wherein said control sample is a sample from a normal cell line or an individual not having cancer, and

wherein a higher ratio of NeuGc-containing O-linked oligosaccharides to NeuAc-containing O-linked oligosaccharides in the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides relative to the mass spectrum profile of oligosaccharides from said control sample indicates that said individual has cancer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said cancer is an adenocarcinoma.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said adenocarcinoma is ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

10. A method for diagnosing cancer in an individual, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a mass spectrum of oligosaccharides from a plurality of glycoproteins in a serum sample from said individual, wherein the oligosaccharides have been selectively released from said plurality of glycoproteins; and

(b) determining the presence or absence of a cancer marker selected from the group consisting of a sulfated oligosaccharide, an N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc)-containing oligosaccharide, an N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc)-containing oligosaccharide, a neutral oligosaceharide, a hexose (Hex)-containing oligosaceharide, a hexuronic acid (HexA)-containing oligosaceharide, and combinations thereof in the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides,

wherein the presence of said cancer marker indicates that said individual has cancer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said cancer is an adenocarcinoma.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said adenocarcinoma is ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said Hex-containing oligosaccharide has a composition selected from the group consisting of 2 Hex; 1 HexNAc:1 Hex; 3 Hex; 1 HexNAc:2 Hex; 3 Hex:1 HexNAc; 1 Hex*:2 Hex:1 HexNAc; 4 Hex:1 HexNAc; 3 Hex:2 HexNAc; 1 Hex*:2 Hex:2 HexNAc; 4 Hex:2 HexNAc; 1 Hex*:3 Hex:2 HexNAc; 5 Hex:2 HexNAc; 4 Hex:3 HexNAc; 5 Hex:3 HexNAc; 1 Hex*:4 Hex:3 HexNAc; 2 Hex*:3 Hex:1 HexNAc; and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said HexA-containing oligosaccharide has a composition selected from the group consisting of m/z221+[HexA] 1 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 2 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 3 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 4 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 5 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 6 ; m/z 221+[HexA] 7 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 1 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 2 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 3 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 4 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 5 ; m/z 361+[HexA] 6 ; m/z 551+[HexA] 1 ; m/z 551+[HexA] 2 ; m/z 551+[HexA] 3 ; m/z 551+[HexA] 4 ; m/z 551+[HexA] 5 ; m/z 555+[HexA] 1 ; m/z 555+[HexA] 2 ; m/z 555+[HexA] 3 ; m/z 604+[HexA] 1 ; m/z 604+[HexA] 2 ; m/z 604+[HexA] 3 ; m/z 604+[HexA] 4 ; and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the oligosaccharides are selected from the group consisting of O-linked oligosaccharides, N-linked oligosaccharides, free oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof.

16. A method for diagnosing a stage of cancer in an individual, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a mass spectrum of oligosaccharides from a plurality of glycoproteins in a serum sample from said individual, wherein the oligosaccharides have been selectively released from said plurality of glycoproteins;

(b) determining the presence or absence of a first cancer marker in the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides, wherein said first cancer marker is selected from the group consisting of 1 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 NeuAc; 2 HexNAc:1 NeuAc:1 Fuc; 1 HexNAc:3 Hex:1 NeuAc; 1 HexNAc:2 Hex:1 NeuGc; 3 HexNAc:1 NeuGe; 1 HexNAc:2 Hex:1 NeuGc:1 Fuc; 1 HexNAc:3 Hex:1Fuc:1 SO 3 H; 2 HexNAc:1 Hex:2 Fuc:1 SO 3 H; 2 HexNAc:3 Hex:1 SO 3 H; 4 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 SO 3 H; 5 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 Fuc:1 SO 3 H; 2 HexNAc:2 Fuc; 2 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 Fuc; 4 HexNAc; 4 HexNAc:1 Hex; 1 HexNAc:3 Hex:2 Fuc; 1 HexNAc:4 Hex:1 Fuc; 3 HexNAc: 1 Hex:2 Fuc; 2 HexNAc:4 Hex: 1 Fuc; and combinations thereof; and

(c) determining the presence or absence of a second cancer marker in the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides, wherein said second cancer marker is selected from the group consisting of 1 HexNAc:2 Hex:1 NeuAc; 2 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 NeuAc; 3 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 NeuAc:3 Fuc; 1 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 NeuGc:1 Fuc; 2 HexNAc:1 NeuGc:1 Fuc; 3 HexNAc:4 Hex:1 NeuGc; 1 HexNAc:1 Hex:1 SO 3 H; 2 HexNAc:2 Hex:2 Fuc:1 SO 3 H; 1 HexNAc:2 Fuc; 1 HexNAc:2 Hex:2 Fuc; 6 HexNAc; 3 HexNAc:3 Hex:2 Fuc; 4 HexNAc:3 Hex:1 Fuc; and combinations thereof,

wherein the presence of said first cancer marker and the absence of said second cancer marker indicates that said individual has an early, stage cancer and wherein the presence of said second cancer marker indicates that said individual has a late stage cancer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said early stage cancer is an early stage ovarian cancer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said early stage ovarian cancer is associated with low CA 125 levels.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein said late stage cancer is a late stage ovarian cancer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said late stage ovarian cancer is associated with high CA 125 levels.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the oligosaccharides are selected from the group consisting of O-linked oligosaccharides, N-linked oligosaccharides, free oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof.

22. A method for diagnosing cancer in an individual, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a mass spectrum of oligosacoharides from a plurality of glycoproteins in a serum sample from said individual using MALDI-FTMS, wherein the oligosaccharides have been selectively released from said plurality of glycoproteins;

(b) comparing the mass spectrum of said oligosaceharides to a mass spectrum profile of oligosaceharides from a cancer sample; and

(c) diagnosing cancer by a similarity between the mass spectrum of said oligosaccharides and the mass spectrum profile of oligosaccharides from said cancer sample.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said cancer is an adenocarcinoma.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said adenocarcinoma is ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein said cancer sample is a sample from a cancer cell line or an individual having cancer.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the oligosaccharides are selected from the group consisting of O-linked oligosaccharides, N-linked oligosaccharides, free oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof.