NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A “molecular footprint” discerned by mass spectrometry and proprietary software distinguishes serum samples from patients with multiple sclerosis from those of normal control subjects, results of a pilot study suggest.
Dr. Gary M. Wolfe, at Predictive Diagnostics in Vacaville, California, and colleagues obtained serum samples from 25 patients newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and 25 healthy controls. The specimens were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.
The mass spectroscopy data was analyzed by Predictive Diagnostics’ “Biomarker Amplification Filter” (BAMF) proteomic spectral pattern recognition software.
According to their report in the February issue of the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, BAMF identified three biomarkers specific to MS patients in the mass spectroscopic data.
When MS is suspected in a patient, even the combination of brain scans, analysis of spinal fluid and patient history may not be sufficient to provide a definitive diagnosis, Dr. Wolfe told Reuters Health. Therefore, “the idea of using a simple blood test for diagnosing MS is huge news,” he said.
In large studies of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and various types of cancer, his group has found that BAMF analysis of mass spectrometry data “is completely reproducible,” Dr. Wolfe noted. His group is now in the process of establishing a large data-set of samples from MS patients to validate their current findings.
Source: J Mol Neurosci 2005. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Artificial Intelligence: Biological Factors: Computing Methodologies: Decision Support Techniques: Immunologic and Biological Factors: Information Science: Mathematical Computing: Mathematics: Medical Informatics: Medical Informatics Computing: Pattern Recognition: Physical Sciences: Biological Markers: Neural Networks (Computer): Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization: Chemical Actions and Uses: Chemical Actions: Chemicals and Drugs: Information Science: Physical SciencesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
