Proteomic profiling of maternal plasma collected longitudinally during pregnancy by surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS)

ObjectiveMaternal plasma is an accessible biological fluid for investigating proteins modulated during fetal development and maintenance of pregnancy. Here we present demographics and pilot data from our ongoing “Plasma Pregnancy Proteome” study to identify (a) preclinical biomarkers for adverse outcomes such as PROM and preeclampsia and (b) proteins reflecting changes in fetal and maternal physiology during development.Study designPlasma is collected prospectively from 300 primagravid pregnancies at five time points for a longitudinal proteomic comparison during normal and complicated pregnancies. Unfractionated plasma from 7 patients at post-conception weeks 4-10, 10-12, 16-22, 26-28 and 36-38 was profiled by SELDI-TOF MS using (1) hydrophobic (H50), (2) strong anion exchange (Q10) and (3) copper-binding (IMAC) chromatographic surfaces.ResultsConclusionThis study identifies proteins modulated during embryogenesis, supporting use of our sample collection methodology in conjunction with SELDI-TOF MS as an effective means for probing the pregnancy proteome for biomarkers of complicated pregnancies. ObjectiveMaternal plasma is an accessible biological fluid for investigating proteins modulated during fetal development and maintenance of pregnancy. Here we present demographics and pilot data from our ongoing “Plasma Pregnancy Proteome” study to identify (a) preclinical biomarkers for adverse outcomes such as PROM and preeclampsia and (b) proteins reflecting changes in fetal and maternal physiology during development. Maternal plasma is an accessible biological fluid for investigating proteins modulated during fetal development and maintenance of pregnancy. Here we present demographics and pilot data from our ongoing “Plasma Pregnancy Proteome” study to identify (a) preclinical biomarkers for adverse outcomes such as PROM and preeclampsia and (b) proteins reflecting changes in fetal and maternal physiology during development. Study designPlasma is collected prospectively from 300 primagravid pregnancies at five time points for a longitudinal proteomic comparison during normal and complicated pregnancies. Unfractionated plasma from 7 patients at post-conception weeks 4-10, 10-12, 16-22, 26-28 and 36-38 was profiled by SELDI-TOF MS using (1) hydrophobic (H50), (2) strong anion exchange (Q10) and (3) copper-binding (IMAC) chromatographic surfaces. Plasma is collected prospectively from 300 primagravid pregnancies at five time points for a longitudinal proteomic comparison during normal and complicated pregnancies. Unfractionated plasma from 7 patients at post-conception weeks 4-10, 10-12, 16-22, 26-28 and 36-38 was profiled by SELDI-TOF MS using (1) hydrophobic (H50), (2) strong anion exchange (Q10) and (3) copper-binding (IMAC) chromatographic surfaces. Results ConclusionThis study identifies proteins modulated during embryogenesis, supporting use of our sample collection methodology in conjunction with SELDI-TOF MS as an effective means for probing the pregnancy proteome for biomarkers of complicated pregnancies. This study identifies proteins modulated during embryogenesis, supporting use of our sample collection methodology in conjunction with SELDI-TOF MS as an effective means for probing the pregnancy proteome for biomarkers of complicated pregnancies.