Multielemental fractionation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by size exclusion liquid chromatography coupled to UV and ICP-MS detection

J Chromatogr Sci. 2010 Oct;48(9):697-703. doi: 10.1093/chromsci/48.9.697.

Abstract

An analytical methodology is presented in this work to determine metal-biomolecule complexes size distribution patterns of several elements, among different compounds present in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). A hyphenated technique based on size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled online to UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection is used. Two different SEC columns with separation ranges between 1,500-1,000,000 relative molecular mass (M(r)) (Nanofilm SEC-250) and 5,000 and 100,000 relative molecular mass (M(r)) (TSK-Gel G2000 SW) are used with 10 mmol/L tris-HCl at pH 7.3 as mobile phase. Retention behavior (retention time and peak-area ratios) remained unchanged for several successive separations. Metal-containing compounds are found to a wide range of M(r). Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, copper and zinc metallothionein, and copper and zinc transferrin are identified in PBMC samples. A high M(r) (147,000) metal-binding protein containing copper and zinc and a high M(r) (107,000) manganese-binding protein were also found; however, these remained unknown.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calibration
  • Chemical Fractionation / methods*
  • Chromatography, Gel / methods*
  • Copper / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / chemistry*
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Molecular Weight
  • Superoxide Dismutase / chemistry
  • Zinc / chemistry

Substances

  • Copper
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Zinc