Immunodepletion of albumin and immunoglobulin G from bovine plasma

Current MS-based proteomics has facilitated the identification of large numbers of proteins from complex mixtures. The bovine plasma proteome has the potential to provide a wealth of information concerning the biological state of an animal. However, during MS-based experiments, higher abundance proteins such as albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) can hinder the identification of potentially important proteins that are present in much lower abundance. While a variety of readily available technologies exist for the depletion of multiple high-abundance proteins from human, mouse and rat samples, there are few available for bovine. In this study, we report the depletion of >97% of albumin and >92% of IgG from bovine plasma.     

Depletion of highly abundant proteins in blood plasma by ammonium sulfate precipitation for 2D-PAGE analysis

Ammonium sulfate precipitation (ASP) was explored as a method for depleting some highly abundant proteins from blood plasma, in order to reduce the dynamic range of protein concentration and to improve the detection of low abundance proteins by 2D-PAGE. 40% ammonium sulfate saturation was chosen since it allowed depleting 39% albumin and 82% α-1-antitrypsin. ASP-depletion showed high reproducibility in 2D-PAGE analysis (4.2% variation in relative abundance of albumin), similar to that offered by commercial affinity-depletion columns. Besides, it allowed detecting 59 spots per gel, very close to the number of spots detected in immuno-affinity-depleted plasma. Thus, ASP at 40% saturation is a reliable depletion method that may help in proteomic analysis of blood plasma. Finally, ASP-depletion seems to be complementary to hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC)-depletion, and therefore an ASP-step followed by a HIC-step could probably deplete the most highly abundant plasma proteins, thus improving the detection of low abundance proteins by 2D-PAGE.     

Rat plasma proteomics: effects of abundant protein depletion on proteomic analysis

The proteomic analysis of plasma and serum samples represents a formidable challenge due to the presence of a few highly abundant proteins such as albumin and immunoglobulins. Detection of low abundance protein biomarkers requires therefore either the specific depletion of high abundance proteins with immunoaffinity columns and/or optimized protein fractionation methods based on charge, size or hydrophobicity. Here we describe the depletion of seven abundant rat plasma proteins with an immunoaffinity column with coupled antibodies directed against albumin, IgG, transferrin, IgM, haptoglobin, fibrinogen and alpha1-anti-trypsin. The IgY-R7-LC2 (Beckman Coulter) column showed high specificity for the targeted proteins and was able to efficiently remove most of the albumin, IgG and transferrin from rat plasma samples as judged by Western blot analysis. Depleted rat plasma protein samples were analyzed by SELDI-TOF MS, 2D SDS-PAGE and 2D-LC and compared to non-depleted plasma samples as well as to the abundant protein fraction that was eluted from the immunoaffinity column. Analysis of the depleted plasma protein fraction revealed improved signal to noise ratios, regardless of which proteomic method was applied. However, only a small number of new proteins were observed in the depleted protein fraction. Immunoaffinity depletion of abundant plasma proteins results in the significant dilution of the original sample which complicates subsequent analysis. Most proteomic approaches require specialized sample preparation procedures during which significant losses of less abundant proteins and potential biomarkers can occur. Even though abundant protein depletion reduces the dynamic range of the plasma proteome by about 2-3 orders of magnitude, the difference between medium-abundant and low abundant plasma proteins is still in the range of 7-8 orders of magnitude and beyond the dynamic range of current proteomic technologies. Thus, exploring the plasma proteome in greater detail remains a daunting task.     

Proteomic Profiling of Ovarian Cancer Plasma using Immunoaffinity Depleted Plasma and Two-Dimensional PAGE

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate a multiple immunoaffinity protein depletion (multiple affinity removal system, MARS) pre-treatment strategy with subsequent two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) and peptide mass finger printing analysis for the detection of ovarian cancer-associated plasma proteins.

Materials and Methods

Following immunoaffinity depletion, total plasma protein content was reduced by 84.2?±?1.8% (mean?±?SE, n?=?32). The number of proteins detected in the control and ovarian cancer groups was 349 and 357, respectively. This represented an increase in spot detection of almost twofold when compared to 2D PAGE displays of untreated plasma (174 spots). Of the proteins displayed, post-depletion, 300 (control) and 302 (ovarian cancer, OC) were common within each group. PDQuest analysis indicated that 109 protein spots were statistically different between the two groups and, of these, 59 exhibited greater than or equal to twofold difference in spot density (Student’s t test, p?=?0.01). Thirty-nine of these proteins were successfully identified with reliable confidence.

Results and Discussion

The data obtained in this study demonstrates that immunodepletion of plasma before 2D PAGE profiling have generated identifiable plasma proteins that are differentially expressed in the high-grade ovarian cancer sample set compared to controls. This approach, therefore, may be useful in identifying candidate biomarkers for inclusion in multi-marker tests for ovarian cancer that may exhibit greater sensitivity and specificity than those currently available. It was evident, however, from the predominant identification of host response proteins that immunodepletion did not generate sufficient levels of enrichment of lower abundance tumor-specific proteins to facilitate detection.     

High-abundance proteins depletion for serum proteomic analysis: concomitant removal of non-targeted proteins

In clinical and pharmaceutical proteomics, serum and plasma are frequently used for detection of early diagnostic biomarkers for therapeutic targets. Although obtaining these body fluid samples is non-invasive and easy, they contain some abundant proteins that mask other protein components present at low concentrations. The challenge in identifying serum biomarkers is to remove the abundant proteins, uncovering and enriching at the same time the low-abundance ones. The depletion strategies, however, could lead to the concomitant removal of some non-targeted proteins that may be of potential interest. In this study, we compared three different methods aimed to deplete high-abundance proteins from human serum, focusing on the identification of non-specifically bound proteins which might be eventually removed. A Cibacron blue-dye-based method for albumin removal, an albumin and IgG immunodepletion method and an immunoaffinity column (Multiple Affinity Removal System) that simultaneously removes a total of six high-abundance proteins, were investigated. The bound proteins were eluted, separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified by Nano LC-CHIP-MS system. Flow-through fractions and bound fractions were also analysed with the ProteinChip technology SELDI-TOF-MS. Our results showed that the methods tested removed not only the targeted proteins with high efficiency, but also some non-targeted proteins. We found that the Multiple Affinity Removal Column improved the intensity of low-abundance proteins, displayed new protein spots and increased resolution. Notably, the column showed the lowest removal of untargeted proteins, proved to be the most promising depletion approach and a reliable method for serum preparation prior to proteomic studies.     

An update on medium- and low-abundant blood plasma proteome of horse

The main objectives of the study were to: (1) deeply analyse the serum protein composition of Equus caballus, (2) assess the effectiveness of the high-abundant protein depletion and improve the concentration of medium- and low-abundant proteins. The analysis were performed on the blood plasma of three healthy part-Arabian mares. The implementation of two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation – time of flight mass spectrometry allowed us to establish a horse plasma proteome map. Serum proteins were resolved at pH 4 to 7, followed by 12% SDS-PAGE. As a result 136 spots were successfully identified, representing the products of 46 unique genes. Of these, 22 gene products have not been previously identified in horse serum/plasma samples using proteomic tools. Gene ontology analysis showed that almost 30% of all identified gene products belong to the coagulation and complement cascades. These results can undoubtedly serve as a useful and prospective prerequisite for the future analysis of horse plasma proteome changes in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The use of the medium- and low-abundant protein enrichment tool increased their abundance and allowed us to identify a higher number of protein gene products. The highest depletion efficiency was observed for the most abundant plasma proteins, that is albumin, IgG heavy chains and serotransferrin.     

Characterization of the human blood plasma proteome

We describe methods for broad characterization of the human plasma proteome. The combination of stepwise immunoglobulin G (IgG) and albumin protein depletion by affinity chromatography and ultrahigh-efficiency capillary liquid chromatography separations coupled to ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry enabled identification of 2392 proteins from a single plasma sample with an estimated confidence level of > 94%, and an additional 2198 proteins with an estimated confidence level of 80%. The relative abundances of the identified proteins span a range of over eight orders of magnitude in concentration (< 30 pg/mL to approximately 30 mg/mL), facilitated by the attomole-level sensitivity of the analysis methods. More than 80% of the observed proteins demonstrate interactions with IgG and/or albumin, and the human plasma protein loss in the affinity chromatography/strong cation exchange/reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology was investigated in detail. The results of this study provide a basis for a wide range of plasma proteomics studies, including broad quantitation of relative abundances in comparative studies of the identification of novel protein disease markers, as well as further studies of protein-protein interactions.     

Depletion of highly abundant proteins in blood plasma by hydrophobic interaction chromatography for proteomic analysis

The proteomic analysis of plasma is extremely complex due to the presence of few highly abundant proteins. These proteins have to be depleted in order to detect low abundance proteins, which are likely to be of biomedical interest. In this work it was investigated the applicability of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) as a plasma fractionation method prior to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE). The average hydrophobicity of the 56 main plasma proteins was calculated. Plasma proteins were classified as low, medium and highly hydrophobic through a cluster analysis. The highly abundant proteins showed a medium hydrophobicity, and therefore a HIC step was designed to deplete them from plasma. HIC performance was assessed by 2DGE, and it was compared to that obtained by a commercial immuno-affinity (IA) column for albumin depletion. Both methods showed similar reproducibility. HIC allowed partially depleting α-1-antitrypsin and albumin, and permitted to detect twice the number of spots than IA. Since albumin depletion by HIC was incomplete, it should be further optimized for its use as a complementary or alternative method to IA.     

Comparison of different depletion strategies for improved resolution in proteomic analysis of human serum samples

Serum proteins may often serve as indicators of disease and is a rich source for biomarker discovery. However, the large dynamic range of proteins in serum makes the analysis very challenging because high-abundant proteins tend to mask those of lower abundance. A prefractionation step, such as depletion of a few high-abundant proteins before protein profiling, can assist in the discovery and detection of less abundant proteins that may prove to be informative biomarkers. In the present study, five different depletion columns were investigated considering efficiency, specificity, and reproducibility. Our research included quantitative determination of total protein, albumin, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations, one- and two-dimensional gels and mass spectrometric analysis of the serum samples before and after the depletion step. Our results showed that all five depletion columns tested removed albumin and IgG with high efficiency. We found that based on reproducibility and binding specificity, the Multiple Affinity Removal Column that removed a total of six high-abundant proteins (albumin, IgG, antitrypsin, IgA, transferring, and haptoglobin) offered the most promising depletion approach. Among the disposable (single-use) products, the ProteoExtract Albumin/IgG Removal kit displayed the best results. Depleted serum from the Multiple Affinity Removal column was further evaluated by 2-D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis, and the results indicated increased resolution and improved intensity of low-abundant proteins in a reproducible fashion. Our study provides a comprehensive investigation of commercially available depletion columns and will be of high importance for future proteomic studies on serum samples.     

Albumin depletion of human plasma also removes low abundance proteins including the cytokines

The use of proteomics for efficient, accurate, and complete analysis of clinical samples poses a variety of technical challenges. The presence of higher abundance proteins in the plasma, such as albumin, may mask the detection of lower abundance proteins such as the cytokines. Methods have been proposed to deplete the sample of these higher abundance proteins to facilitate detection of those with lower abundance. In this study, a commercially available albumin depletion kit was used to determine if removal of albumin would measurably reduce detection of lower abundance cytokine proteins in human plasma. The Montage Albumin Deplete Kit (Millipore) was used to deplete albumin from LPS-stimulated whole blood from 15 normal human donors. Albumin depletion was measured using the BCG reagent and SDS-PAGE, and cytokine recovery was determined by a microassay immunoassay that measures both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Average albumin depletion from the samples was 72%. However, several cytokines were also significantly reduced when the albumin was removed from the plasma. Additionally, there was a variable reduction in cytokine recovery from a known mixture of cytokines in a minimal amount of plasma that were loaded onto the columns. These data demonstrate that there may be a non-specific loss of cytokines following albumin depletion, which may confound subsequent proteomic analysis.     

Efficient prefractionation of low-abundance proteins in human plasma and construction of a two-dimensional map

Human plasma is the most clinically valuable specimen, containing not only a dynamic concentration range of protein components, but also several groups of high-abundance proteins that seriously interfere with the detection of low-abundance potential biomarker proteins. To establish a high-throughput method for efficient depletion of high-abundance proteins and subsequent fractionation, prior to molecular analysis of proteins, we explored how coupled immunoaffinity columns, commercially available as multiple affinity removal columns (MARC) and free flow electrophoresis (FFE), could apply to the HUPO plasma proteome project. Here we report identification of proteins and construction of a human plasma 2-DE map devoid of six major abundance proteins (albumin, transferrin, IgG, IgA, haptoglobin, and antitrypsin) using MARC. The proteins were identified by PMF, matching with various internal 2-DE maps, resulting in a total of 144 nonredundant proteins that were identified from 398 spots. Tissue plasminogen activator, usually present at 10-60 ng/mL plasma, was also identified, indicative of a potentially low-abundance biomarker. Comparison of representative 2-D gel images of three ethnic groups (Caucasian, Asian-American, African-American) plasma exhibited minor differences in certain proteins between races and sample pretreatment. To establish a throughput fractionation of plasma samples by FFE, either MARC flow-through fractions or untreated samples of Korean serum were subjected to FFE. After separation of samples on FFE, an aliquot of each fraction was analyzed by 1-D gel, in which MARC separation was a prerequisite for FFE work. Thus, a working scheme of MARC --> FFE --> 1-D PAGE --> 2-D-nanoLC-MS/MS may be considered as a widely applicable standard platform technology for fractionation of complex samples like plasma.     

Combination of abundant protein depletion and multi-lectin affinity chromatography (M-LAC) for plasma protein biomarker discovery

We report on the development of a robust and relatively high-throughput method for in-depth proteomic analysis of human plasma suitable for biomarker discovery. The method consists of depletion of albumin and IgG and multi-lectin affinity chromatography (M-LAC), followed by nanoLC-MS/MS analysis of digested proteins and label-free comparative quantitation of proteins. The performance of the method is monitored by multiple quality control points to ensure reproducibility of the analysis. The method identifies proteins that are reported to be present in normal plasma at concentrations of 10-100 ng/mL and that may be of particular interest when studying a variety of disease conditions. Numerous tissue leakage proteins of potentially even lower concentrations are also identified. When the method was used in a study to identify potential biomarkers of psoriasis, the differential abundance of proteins present at low mug/mL level was quantitated and later verified by ELISA measurements.     

Quantitative mass spectrometric multiple reaction monitoring assays for major plasma proteins

Quantitative LC-MS/MS assays were designed for tryptic peptides representing 53 high and medium abundance proteins in human plasma using a multiplexed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) approach. Of these, 47 produced acceptable quantitative data, demonstrating within-run coefficients of variation (CVs) (n = 10) of 2-22% (78% of assays had CV <10%). A number of peptides gave CVs in the range 2-7% in five experiments (10 replicate runs each) continuously measuring 137 MRMs, demonstrating the precision achievable in complex digests. Depletion of six high abundance proteins by immunosubtraction significantly improved CVs compared with whole plasma, but analytes could be detected in both sample types. Replicate digest and depletion/digest runs yielded correlation coefficients (R(2)) of 0.995 and 0.989, respectively. Absolute analyte specificity for each peptide was demonstrated using MRM-triggered MS/MS scans. Reliable detection of L-selectin (measured at 0.67 microg/ml) indicates that proteins down to the microg/ml level can be quantitated in plasma with minimal sample preparation, yielding a dynamic range of 4.5 orders of magnitude in a single experiment. Peptide MRM measurements in plasma digests thus provide a rapid and specific assay platform for biomarker validation, one that can be extended to lower abundance proteins by enrichment of specific target peptides (stable isotope standards and capture by anti-peptide antibodies (SISCAPA)).     

A robust, streamlined, and reproducible method for proteomic analysis of serum by delipidation, albumin and IgG depletion, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Serum is a readily available source for diagnostic assays, but the identification of disease-specific serum biomarkers has been impeded by the dominance of human serum albumin and immunoglobulins (Igs) in the serum proteome. There is a need to reduce the technical variation in serum processing and analysis to allow for a reproducible analysis of large cohorts. To this end, we have developed a rapid and reproducible procedure for sample preparation and high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to analyze human serum. Serum is centrifuged at high speed to remove lipids and aggregated proteins, incubated with protein G resin to remove IgG, precipitated with NaCl/ethanol to deplete albumin, and slowly resolubilized in a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-2'-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES) buffer. The delipidated and IgG/albumin depleted serum proteins are focused on pH 4-7 linear large immobilized pH gradient strips, and then resolved by Bis-Tris SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The robustness and reproducibility of the optimized procedure was determined for three individual serum samples on three consecutive days. An image analysis of the nine silver-stained gels demonstrated that the intensity and localization of protein spots are highly reproducible. Our IgG and albumin depletion procedure will aid in screening the patient sera for normal biological variation and disease-specific biomarkers.     

A novel four-dimensional strategy combining protein and peptide separation methods enables detection of low-abundance proteins in human plasma and serum proteomes

A novel strategy, termed protein array pixelation, is described for comprehensive profiling of human plasma and serum proteomes. This strategy consists of three sequential high-resolution protein prefractionation methods (major protein depletion, solution isoelectrofocusing, and 1-DE) followed by nanocapillary RP tryptic peptide separation prior to MS/MS analysis. The analysis generates a 2-D protein array where each pixel in the array contains a group of proteins with known pI and molecular weight range. Analysis of the HUPO samples using this strategy resulted in 575 and 2890 protein identifications from plasma and serum, respectively, based on HUPO-approved criteria for high-confidence protein assignments. Most importantly, a substantial number of low-abundance proteins (low ng/mL - pg/mL range) were identified. Although larger volumes were used in initial prefractionation steps, the protein identifications were derived from fractions equivalent to approximately 0.6 microL (45 microg) of plasma and 2.4 microL (204 microg) of serum. The time required for analyzing the entire protein array for each sample is comparable to some published shotgun analyses of plasma and serum proteomes. Therefore, protein array pixelation is a highly sensitive method capable of detecting proteins differing in abundance by up to nine orders of magnitude. With further refinement, this method has the potential for even higher capacity and higher throughput.     

Afamin is a novel human vitamin E-binding glycoprotein characterization and in vitro expression

Hydrophobic vitamins are transported in human plasma and extravascular fluids by carrier proteins. No specific protein has been described so far for vitamin E, which plays a crucial role in protecting against oxidative damage and disease. We report here the purification of a 75-kDa glycoprotein with vitamin E-binding properties by stepwise chromatography of lipoprotein-depleted human plasma and monitoring of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)-binding activity. Partial sequencing identified this protein as afamin, a previously described member of the albumin gene family with four or five potential N-glycosylation sites. Glycosylation analysis indicated that >90% of the glycans were sialylated biantennary complex structures. The vitamin E-binding properties were confirmed using recombinantly expressed afamin. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of plasma and extravascular fluids revealed an abundant presence of this protein not only in plasma (59.8+/-13.3 microg/mL) but also in extravascular fluids such as follicular (34.4+/-12.7 microg/mL) and cerebrospinal (0.28+/-0.16 microg/mL) fluids, suggesting potential roles for afamin in fertility and neuroprotection. Afamin is partly (13%) bound to plasma lipoproteins. Afamin and vitamin E concentrations significantly correlate in follicular and cerebrospinal fluids but not in plasma. The vitamin E association of afamin in follicular fluid was directly demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and immunoprecipitation which complements the in vitro findings for purified native and recombinant afamin.     

Depletion of Plasma Albumin for Proteomic Analysis of Bothrops jararaca Snake Plasma

The proteomic analysis of plasma samples represents a challenge as a result of the presence of highly abundant proteins such as albumin. To enable the detection of biomarkers, which are commonly low-abundance proteins, in complex blood fluids, it is necessary to remove high-abundance proteins efficiently. Moreover, there is a range of about 10 orders of magnitude for the abundance of different protein species in serum. Here, we describe for the first time a study of reptilian albumin depletion using resins usually used in mammalian plasma depletion procedures. We performed the depletion of albumin from Bothrops jaraca plasma using the HiTrap Blue high-performance column (GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA) and the kit Albumin & IgG Depletion SpinTrap column (GE Healthcare Life Sciences). In addition, proteomic approaches were used to analyze reptilian plasma. Our results showed that B. jararaca albumin bound to both columns, but those interactions were not enough to remove a large amount of albumin to reach an enrichment of low-abundance proteins. Although the depletion techniques used in this work were not the best to remove B. jararaca plasma albumin, our present work highlights the similarity between B. jararaca and mammalian albumin, contributing to the knowledge of comparative hemostatic proteins.     

Depletion of the high-abundance plasma proteins

Summary. Body fluids, like plasma and urine, are comparatively easy to obtain and are useful for the detection of novel diagnostic markers by applying new technologies, like proteomics. However, in plasma, several high-abundance proteins are dominant and repress the signals of the lower-abundance proteins, which then become undetectable either by two-dimensional gels or chromatography. Therefore, depletion of the abundant proteins is a prerequisite for the detection of the low-abundance components. We applied affinity chromatography on blue matrix and Protein G and removed the most abundant human plasma proteins, albumin and the immunoglobulin chains. The plasma proteins, prior to albumin and immunoglobulin depletion, as well the eluates from the two chromatography steps were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and the proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. The analysis resulted in the identification of 83 different gene products in the untreated plasma. Removal of the high-abundance proteins resulted in the visualization of new protein signals. In the eluate of the two affinity steps, mostly albumin and immunoglobulin spots were detected but also spots representing several other abundant plasma proteins. The methodology is easy to perform and is useful as a first step in the detection of diagnostic markers in body fluids by applying proteomics technologies.Current address: Foundation for Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens, Greece     

Sepsis plasma protein profiling with immunodepletion, three-dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and spectrum counting

Sepsis is a systemic, often fatal inflammatory response whose biochemical pathways are not fully understood and with no single biomarker capable of its reliable prediction. Increased interest in protein profiling to reveal fundamental biochemical events as well as disease diagnosis has grown considerably, largely due to advances in mass spectrometry and related front-end technologies. In this study, patients with sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were examined using plasma protein profiling following immunodepletion treatment to remove the most abundant proteins, serum albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, anti-trypsin, IgG, and IgA. These proteins cause significant signal suppression, and their removal allows for lower abundance proteins to be examined through improved ion signal. Analyses after immunodepletion were performed using 3-dimensional reverse phase/strong cation exchange/reverse phase liquid chromatography with electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (3D LC-MS/MS) and spectrum counting for comparative quantitation. The results revealed a major theme in immune system activity, including activation of the complement and coagulation pathways. Additionally, lipid transport may prove to be important in distinguishing sepsis from SIRS. Specifically, significant multi-fold changes were observed in 10 proteins and are now being investigated for the early diagnosis of sepsis.     

Assessment approach for evaluating high abundance protein depletion methods for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic analysis

Optimal proteomic analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) requires depletion of high-abundance proteins to facilitate observation of low-abundance proteins. The performance of two immunodepletion (MARS, Agilent Technologies and ProteoSeek, Pierce Biotechnology) and one ultrafiltration (50 kDa molecular weight cutoff filter, Millipore Corporation) methods for depletion of abundant CSF proteins were compared using a graphical method to access the depth of analysis using "marker proteins" with known normal concentration ranges. Two-dimensional LC/MS/MS analysis of each depleted sample yielded 171 and 163 unique protein identifications using the MARS and ProteoSeek immunodepletion methods, respectively, while only 46 unique proteins were identified using a 50 kDa molecular weight cutoff filter. The relative abundance of the identified proteins was estimated using total spectrum counting and compared to the concentrations of 45 known proteins in CSF as markers of the analysis depth. Results of this work suggest a clear need for methodology designed specifically for depletion of high-abundance proteins in CSF, as depletion methods designed to deplete high-abundance serum proteins showed little improvement in analysis depth compared to analysis without depletion. The marker protein method should be generally useful for assessing depth of analysis in the comparison of proteomic analysis methods.