Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Diagnosed by Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is being used for the diagnosis and clinical evaluation of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a hematologic disease.

TTP is a blood disorder characterized by low platelets, low red blood cell count (caused by premature breakdown of the cells), neurologic abnormalities, and sometimes abnormalities in kidney function. In most cases, this disease is caused by a deficiency in or auto-antibodies to an enzyme called Adamts13, which cleaves von Willebrand Factor. Loss of this enzyme causes the platelet clumping and red blood cell destruction that are the hallmarks of TTP.

In November 2006, Ciphergen (Freemont, CA, USA) and Ohio State University (OSU, Columbus, OH, USA) announced a collaborative agreement to develop and clinically validate a diagnostic test to detect TTP. Under the terms of the agreement, and Ciphergen will optimize the assay to measure enzyme and antibody inhibition activity, and will jointly conduct multi-center studies to validate the test. Ciphergen Biosystems and OSU intend to validate the assay's clinical utility using Seldi-Tof technology across a larger patient population.

A diagnostic test that can rapidly determine enzyme activity is needed to help clinicians make the correct diagnosis, initiate timely therapy and predict the risk of the disease recurrences for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a devastating hematological disorder, said Haifeng M. Wu, M.D., assistant professor of pathology and medicine and director of clinical coagulation laboratory at OSU Medical Center This study successfully illustrates the unique application of Seldi-Tof mass spectrometry for measuring enzyme activity and evaluating auto-antibody activity--both of which are key parameters in the pathology and progression of TTP.

An article describing the use of surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of Flight (Seldi-Tof) mass spectrometry for the diagnosis and clinical evaluation of TTP appeared in the January 2007 issue of Spectroscopy.




Related Links:
Ciphergen
Ohio State University