Nico C. van de Merbel

Internal standards in the quantitative determination of protein biopharmaceuticals using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

Following the increase in development of protein biopharmaceuticals, there is a growing demand for the sensitive and reliable quantification of these proteins in complex biological matrices such as plasma and serum to support (pre)-clinical research. In this field, ligand binding assays (LBAs) are currently the standard analytical technique, but in recent years, there is a trend towards the use of liquid chromatography hyphenated with (tandem) mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). One of the reasons for this trend is the possibility to use internal standards to correct for analytical variability and thus improve the precision and accuracy of the results. In the LC-MS/MS bioanalysis of small molecules, internal standardization is quite straightforward: either a stable-isotope labeled (SIL) form of the analyte or a structural analogue is used. For the quantification of biopharmaceutical proteins, the situation is more complex. Since the protein of interest is digested to a mixture of peptides, one of which is subsequently used for quantification, there are more options for internal standardization. A SIL form or a structural analogue of either the intact protein or the signature peptide can be used. In addition, a modified form of the SIL-peptide internal standard, containing one or more cleavable groups is a possibility, and an internal standard can be generated during the analysis by using differential derivatization techniques. In this paper we provide an overview of the different options for internal standardization in the field of absolute targeted quantification of protein biopharmaceuticals using LC-MS/MS, based on literature from 2003 to 2011. The advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches are evaluated both with regard to the correction they provide for the variability of the different steps of the analysis and with regard to their generic availability. As most of the approaches used lead to acceptable results in terms of accuracy and precision, we conclude that there currently is no clear preferable method for internal standardization in the field of protein quantification by LC-MS/MS. It is essential, however, that any step in the analysis that is not covered by the internal standard chosen, should be carefully optimized and controlled.

High-Sensitivity LC-MS/MS Quantification of Peptides and Proteins in Complex Biological Samples: The Impact of Enzymatic Digestion and Internal Standard Selection on Method Performance

Two important aspects of peptide and protein quantification by LC-MS/MS, the enzymatic digestion step and the internal standardization approach, were systematically investigated with a small protein, salmon calcitonin, which could be analyzed both without and with digestion. Quantification of undigested salmon calcitonin, after solid-phase extraction from plasma, resulted in a lower limit of quantification of 10 pg/mL, while introduction of a tryptic digestion step, followed by quantification of a signature peptide, increased this to 50 pg/mL. The sensitivity was reduced by interferences in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transition of the signature peptide due to the increase in sample complexity caused by the digestion and a less selective SRM transition of the signature peptide as compared to undigested salmon calcitonin. Eight internal standardization approaches were compared with respect to accuracy and precision in workflows with and without digestion. Analogue and stable-isotope-labeled (SIL) internal standards were evaluated including an in-house created (18)O-labeled peptide, a cleavable SIL peptide, and an internal standard created by differential derivatization of the signature peptide. We conclude that the best internal standard for the workflows both with and without digestion was the SIL form of the analyte, although the use of several SIL signature peptides and a differentially derivatized signature peptide also resulted in methods with performances which meet the FDA guidelines.

In-depth study of homogeneity in DBS using two different techniques: results from the EBF DBS-microsampling consortium

BACKGROUND At the start of their work, the European Bioanalysis Forum dried blood spots microsampling consortium did not form a dedicated team to investigate the spot homogeneity. However, two teams performed experiments that produced results relating to sample homogeneity. RESULTS The data, which were produced via two different approaches (a radiolabeled and a nonradiolabeled approach), are highly complementary and demonstrate clear effects on sample inhomogeneity due to the substrate type, compound and hematocrit levels. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that sample inhomogeneity is a significant hurdle to the use of dried blood spots for regulated bioanalysis that should be investigated further in the method establishment phase if the whole spot is not sampled.

A validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitative determination of 4β-hydroxycholesterol in human plasma

A novel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method is described for the quantitative determination of the endogenous CYP 3A4/5 marker 4β-hydroxycholesterol in human K(2)-EDTA plasma. It is based on alkaline hydrolysis to convert esterified to free 4β-hydroxycholesterol, followed by analyte extraction from plasma by hexane and purification of the hexane extract by normal-phase solid-phase extraction. The analyte is chromatographically separated from endogenous isobaric plasma oxysterols and excess cholesterol by a 16-min reversed-phase gradient on a C18 column; detection is performed by atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode, using toluene as a dopant. Using 400μl of plasma, 4β-hydroxycholesterol can be quantified in the concentration range 10.0-250nM. Validation results show that the method is sufficiently selective towards endogenous plasma sterols and capable of quantifying the analyte with good precision and accuracy. The analyte is sufficiently stable in all relevant matrices and solvents; the addition of the anti-oxidant butylated hydroxytoluene to prevent in vitro formation of 4β-hydroxycholesterol from cholesterol during storage or analysis is not necessary, provided that long-term frozen storage of plasma occurs at -70°C.

Quantitative determination of free and total dopamine in human plasma by LC–MS/MS: the importance of sample preparation

BACKGROUND Two methods have been developed and validated for the determination of free and total dopamine in human plasma. They are based on solid-phase extraction of the analyte from the matrix by covalent complexation with phenylboronic acid, followed by derivatization with ethylchloroformate. The derivative is quantified by reversed-phase liquid chromatography on a C18 column and positive electrospray ionization MS/MS. RESULTS The high selectivity obtained, in combination with the stable and relatively non-polar nature of the derivatized analyte, enables the reliable quantification of dopamine in the range 0.05 to 20 ng/ml in a 5 min run time, using only 100 µl of sample. Total dopamine concentrations are determined (range 1 to 400 ng/ml) by including an acidic hydrolysis step, which converts the sulphate and glucuronide conjugates to free dopamine prior to extraction. The method was applied to quantify free and total dopamine levels in human plasma after dosing with the anti-Parkinsons drug combination L-dopa/carbidopa with and without entacapone. CONCLUSION A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the determination of free and total dopamine in human plasma. This article demonstrates how essential careful optimization of the sample preparation procedures was for developing a successful method.

New ultrasensitive detection technologies and techniques for use in microdosing studies

In a microdosing study, subpharmacologically active doses of drug are given to human volunteers at an early stage of development in order to obtain preliminary pharmacokinetic data. The very low doses of drug administered (≤100 µg) consequently lead to very low concentrations of drug appearing in the body and therefore highly sensitive analytical techniques are required. There are three such analytical technologies currently used in microdosing studies: PET, liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Both PET and AMS employ radioisotopic tracers. PET is an imaging technique and AMS is an extremely sensitive isotope ratio method, able to measure drug concentrations in the ag/ml range. LC-MS/MS does not require the presence of an isotopic tracer and its sensitivity is in the pg/ml range. This review examines each of these three analytical modalities in the context of performing microdosing studies.

Quantification of biopharmaceuticals and biomarkers in complex biological matrices: a comparison of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and ligand binding assays

The quantification of proteins (biopharmaceuticals or biomarkers) in complex biological samples such as blood plasma requires exquisite sensitivity and selectivity, as all biological matrices contain myriads of proteins that are all made of the same 20 proteinogenic amino acids, notwithstanding post-translational modifications. This review describes and compares the two main approaches, namely, ligand binding assays (LBAs) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. While LBAs remain the most widely used approach, SRM assays are gaining interest due to their generally better analytical performance (precision and accuracy) and their capacity for multiplex analyses. This article focuses on the possible reasons for the discrepancies between results obtained by LBAs and SRM assays.

Quantification of free and total desmosine and isodesmosine in human urine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry: A comparison of the surrogate-analyte and the surrogate-matrix approach for quantitation

In spite of the data suggesting the potential of urinary desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDS) as biomarkers for elevated lung elastic fiber turnover, further validation in large-scale studies of COPD populations, as well as the analysis of longitudinal samples is required. Validated analytical methods that allow the accurate and precise quantification of DES and IDS in human urine are mandatory in order to properly evaluate the outcome of such clinical studies. In this work, we present the development and full validation of two methods that allow DES and IDS measurement in human urine, one for the free and one for the total (free+peptide-bound) forms. To this end we compared the two principle approaches that are used for the absolute quantification of endogenous compounds in biological samples, analysis against calibrators containing authentic analyte in surrogate matrix or containing surrogate analyte in authentic matrix. The validated methods were employed for the analysis of a small set of samples including healthy never-smokers, healthy current-smokers and COPD patients. This is the first time that the analysis of urinary free DES, free IDS, total DES, and total IDS has been fully validated and that the surrogate analyte approach has been evaluated for their quantification in biological samples. Results indicate that the presented methods have the necessary quality and level of validation to assess the potential of urinary DES and IDS levels as biomarkers for the progression of COPD and the effect of therapeutic interventions.

LC-MS/MS-based monitoring of in vivo protein biotransformation: quantitative determination of trastuzumab and its deamidation products in human plasma

An LC-MS/MS-based method is described for quantitatively monitoring the in vivo deamidation of the biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibody trastuzumab at a crucial position in its complementarity determining region (CDR). The multiplexed LC-MS/MS assay using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) allows simultaneous quantitation of five molecular species derived from trastuzumab after tryptic digestion: a stable signature peptide (FTISADTSK), a deamidation-sensitive signature peptide (IYPTNGYTR), its deamidated products (IYPTDGYTR and IYPTisoDGYTR), and a succinimide intermediate (IYPTsuccGYTR). Digestion of a 50 μL plasma sample is performed at pH 7 for 3 h at 37 °C, which combines a reasonable (>80%) digestion efficiency with a minimal (<1%) formation of deamidation products during digestion. Rapid in vitro deamidation was observed at higher pH, leading to a (large) overestimation of the concentrations of deamidation products in the original plasma sample. The LC-MS/MS method was validated in accordance with international bioanalytical guidelines over the clinically relevant range of 0.5 to 500 μg/mL with bias and CV values well below 15%. Deamidation of trastuzumab was observed in plasma both in a 56 day in vitro forced degradation study (up to 37% of the total drug concentration) and in samples obtained from breast cancer patients after treatment with the drug for several months (up to 25%). Comparison with a validated ELISA method for trastuzumab showed that deamidation of the drug at the CDR leads to a loss of recognition by the antibodies used in the ELISA assay.

Antibody-free LC-MS/MS quantification of rhTRAIL in human and mouse serum

The major challenge in targeted protein quantification by LC-MS/MS in serum lies in the complexity of the biological matrix with regard to the wide diversity of proteins and their extremely large dynamic concentration range. In this study, an LC-MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of the 60-kDa biopharmaceutical proteins recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand wild type (rhTRAIL(WT)) and its death receptor 4 (DR4)-specific variant rhTRAIL(4C7) in human and mouse serum. Selective enrichment of TRAIL was accomplished by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC), which was followed by tryptic digestion of the enriched sample and quantification of a suitable signature peptide. For absolute quantification, (15)N-metabolically labeled internal standards of rhTRAIL(WT) and rhTRAIL(4C7) were used. Since the signature peptides that provided the highest sensitivity and allowed discrimination between rhTRAIL(WT) and rhTRAIL(4C7) contained methionine residues, we oxidized these quantitatively to their sulfoxides by the addition of 0.25% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide. The final method has a lower limit of quantification of 20 ng/mL (ca. 350 pM) and was fully validated according to current international guidelines for bioanalysis. To show the applicability of the LC-MS/MS method for pharmacokinetic studies, we quantified rhTRAIL(WT) and rhTRAIL(4C7) simultaneously in serum from mice injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 5 mg/kg for each protein. This is the first time that two variants of rhTRAIL differing by only a few amino acids have been analyzed simultaneously in serum, an approach that is not possible by conventional enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) analysis.