Protein phosphorylation studies of cerebral spinal fluid for potential biomarker development.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) followed by cerebral vasospasm (CV) leads to severe debilitation or death of an estimated one million people worldwide every year. A biomarker that would predict the onset of CV after a SAH would be useful in informing treatment protocols, but has yet to be found. The focus of this study is to explore differences in protein phosphorylation in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) among healthy patients, SAH patients and SAH-CV patients.

Screening hydrolysis products of sulfur mustard agents by high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection.

Sulfur mustard (HD), bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, is one of a class of mustard agents which are chemical warfare agents. The main chemical warfare hydrolysis degradation products of sulfur mustards are: thiodiglycol, bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)methane, 1,2-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)ethane, 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)propane, and 1,4-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)butane. The aim of this study is to identify these five hydrolysis degradation products utilizing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for element-specific sulfur detection using a collision/reaction cell and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to confirm the identification.