Mass spectrometric determination of fatty acids
AssigneeQuest Diagnostics Investments Incorporated
InventorScott Goldman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining an amount of one or more underivatized very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) selected from the group consisting of docosanoic acid, tetracosanoic acid, and hexacosanoic acid in a sample by mass spectrometry includes (a) subjecting the sample containing an amount of one or more VLCFA to an ionization source to generate one or more underivatized VLCFA ions detectable by mass spectrometry; (b) determining an amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA ions by mass spectrometry; and (c) determining the amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA in the sample from the amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA ions determined in step (b).
Claims19
1-14. (canceled)
A method of diagnosing or monitoring a peroxisomal disorder, the method comprising determining an amount of one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid in a sample by mass spectrometry, the method comprising:
- (a) subjecting the sample to a hexane extraction to form an extracted sample;
- (b) subjecting the extracted sample containing an amount of one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid to an ionization source to generate one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid ions detectable by mass spectrometry;
- (c) determining an amount of the one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid ions by mass spectrometry;
- and
- (d) determining the amount of the one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid in the sample from the amount of the one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid ions determined in step (c);
- and
- wherein an abnormal level of the one or more underivatized pristanic acid and/or phytanic acid is indicative of the peroxisomal disorder.
A method for determining an amount of one or more very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and/or branched chain fatty acids (BCFA) in a sample by mass spectrometry, the method comprising:
- (a) subjecting the sample to an ionization source operating in negative ionization mode to generate one or more VLCFA and/or BCFA ions detectable by mass spectrometry;
- (b) determining the amount of the one or more VLCFA and/or BCFA ions by mass spectrometry;
- and
- (c) relating the amount of the one or more VLCFA and/or BCFA ions determined in step (b) to the amount of the VLCFA and/or BCFA in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.