Direct Infusion-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (DI-MS/MS) Analysis of Complex Lipids in Human Plasma and Serum Using the Lipidyzer™ Platform

Lipids play a key role in the signaling pathways of cancer, cardiovascular, diabetic, and inflammatory diseases. A major challenge in the analysis of lipids is the many isobaric interferences present in highly complex samples that confound identification and accurate quantitation. After obtaining the total lipid extract from a sample, differential mobility separation has proven to be a powerful tool for gas-phase fractionation of lipid classes. When combined with mass spectrometry, this allows the unambiguous identification and thus quantification of lipid molecular species. These components, sample extraction, gas-phase separation, and mass spectrometry, form the basis of a novel integrated quantitative lipid analysis platform.