Biomedical subjects

Peter W Carr

Publications and source records attributed to Peter W Carr.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Fast gradient elution reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection as a high-throughput screening method for drugs of abuse. I. Chromatographic conditions.

A new approach for the high-throughput screening of biological samples to detect the presence of regulated intoxicants has been developed by modifying a conventional gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). The goal of this work was to improve the speed of gradient elution screening methods over current approaches by optimizing the operational parameters of both the column and the instrument without compromising the reproducibility of the retention times, which is the basis for the identification of intoxicant compounds. Most importantly, the novel instrument configuration substantially reduces the time needed to re-equilibrate the column between consecutive gradient runs, thereby reducing the total time for each analysis. The total analysis time for each gradient elution run is only 2.80 min, including 0.30 min for column re-equilibration between analyses. Retention times of standard calibration solutes are reproducible to better than 0.002 min in consecutive runs. A corrected retention index was adopted to account for day-to-day and column-to-column variations in retention time. For a set of forty-seven target compounds, the discriminating power and mean list length were found to be 0.95 and 3.26, respectively. In comparison to previous work with similar numbers of target compounds, the current approach provides an order of magnitude improvement in analysis time, and a four-fold decrease in mean list length.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2006

Fast gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography with diode-array detection as a high-throughput screening method for drugs of abuse. II. Data analysis.

In Part I of this work, we developed a method for the detection of drugs of abuse in biological samples based on fast gradient elution liquid-chromatography coupled with diode array spectroscopic detection (LC-DAD). In this part of the work, we apply the chemometric method of target factor analysis (TFA) to the chromatograms. This algorithm identifies the target compounds present in chromatograms based on a spectral library, resolves nearly co-eluting components, and differentiates between drugs with similar spectra. The ability to resolve highly overlapped peaks using the spectral data afforded by the DAD is what distinguishes the present method from conventional library searching methods. Our library has a mean list length (MLL) of 1.255 and a discriminating power of 0.997 when both retention index and spectral factors are considered. The algorithm compares a library of 47 different compounds of toxicological relevance to unknown samples and identifies which compounds are present based on spectral and retention index matching. The application of a corrected retention index for identification rather than raw retention times compensates for long-term and column-to-column retention time shifts and allows for the use of a single library of spectral and retention data. Training data sets were used to establish the search and identification parameters of the method. A validation data set of 70 chromatograms was used to calculate the sensitivity (correct identification of positives) and specificity (correct identification of negatives) of the method, which were found to be 92% and 94%, respectively.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

The chemical interpretation and practice of linear solvation energy relationships in chromatography.

This review focuses on the use of linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) to understand the types and relative strength of the chemical interactions that control retention and selectivity in the various modes of chromatography ranging from gas chromatography to reversed phase and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. The most recent, widely accepted symbolic representation of the LSER model, as proposed by Abraham, is given by the equation: SP=c + eE + sS + aA + bB + vV, in which, SP can be any free energy related property. In chromatography, SP is most often taken as logk' where k' is the retention factor. The letters E, S, A, B, and V denote solute dependent input parameters that come from scales related to a solute's polarizability, dipolarity (with some contribution from polarizability), hydrogen bond donating ability, hydrogen bond accepting ability, and molecular size, respectively. The e-, s-, a-, b-, and v-coefficients and the constant, c, are determined via multiparameter linear least squares regression analysis of a data set comprised of solutes with known E, S, A, B, and V values and which span a reasonably wide range in interaction abilities. Thus, LSERs are designed to probe the type and relative importance of the interactions that govern solute retention. In this review, we include a synopsis of the various solvent and solute scales in common use in chromatography. More importantly, we emphasize the development and physico-chemical basis of - and thus meaning of - the solute parameters. After establishing the meaning of the parameters, we discuss their use in LSERs as applied to understanding the intermolecular interactions governing various gas-liquid and liquid-liquid phase equilibria. The gas-liquid partition process is modeled as the sum of an endoergic cavity formation/solvent reorganization process and exoergic solute-solvent attractive forces, whereas the partitioning of a solute between two solvents is thermodynamically equivalent to the difference in two gas/liquid solution processes. We end with a set of recommendations and advisories for conducting LSER studies, stressing the proper chemical and statistical application of the methodology. We intend that these recommendations serve as a guide for future studies involving the execution, statistical evaluation, and chemical interpretation of LSERs.

Chemical Phenomena↗

PubMed2006

Analysis of four-way two-dimensional liquid chromatography-diode array data: application to metabolomics.

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) is rapidly gaining popularity for the analysis of very complex mixtures, including proteomic and metabolomic samples. It provides an effective strategy for separating such samples, because the resolving power of 2D-LC is far superior to that of traditional single-dimension separations. The present work focuses on the development of data analysis methods for the extremely large data sets, on the order of 10 million data points, generated by 2D-LC with diode-array detection (DAD). Specifically, we have applied and adapted chemometric methods to the analysis of maize seedling digests, focusing on compounds related to the biosynthetic pathways of indole-3-acetic acid, the primary growth regulator in plants. The chemometric techniques of window target testing factor analysis (WTTFA), along with parallel factor analysis - alternating least squares (PARAFAC-ALS) were used to analyze 2D-LC-DAD chromatograms of a sample composed of 26 indolic standards, 2 extracts of mutant orange pericarp maize seedlings, 2 extracts of wild-type maize seedlings, and a blank sample. The indolic compounds studied belonged to six spectrally unique groups, and WTTFA was able to specifically identify the presence or absence of any of the 26 indolic standards in the mutant and wild-type samples. A PARAFAC-ALS algorithm and an ALS algorithm with flexible constraints were successfully applied to resolve the spectrally rank deficient data and to demonstrate the quantitative potential of multivariate curve resolution methods. Using this procedure, 95 total peaks were resolved in the data set analyzed. Of those 95 peaks, 45 were found in both the mutant and wild-type maize samples, 16 peaks were unique to the mutant maize samples, 13 peaks were unique to the wild-type maize samples, and 15 peaks were unique to the standard chromatograms. Of the 26 standards included in the data set, several indole acetic acid conjugates were identified and quantified in the maize samples at levels of approximately 0.3-2 microg/g plant material.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

A graphical method for understanding the kinetics of peak capacity production in gradient elution liquid chromatography.

A novel graphical method for assessing the compromise between conditional peak capacity and separation speed for packed bed columns under gradient conditions has been developed and applied to the separation of peptides. This approach is analogous to and complements the conventional "Poppe plot" used to study plate count in isocratic separations. The use of the new plot can assist the design of appropriate column formats (e.g. particle size and column length) for both dimensions in gradient elution two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC). Particularly for the second dimension of 2DLC, we find that smaller particles provide faster separations even though fast separations based on particles smaller than 2 microm are practically limited by the required miniscule column length. We also find that high temperatures strongly enhance the kinetics of peak capacity production whereas higher pressures help achieve larger absolute peak capacities albeit at the cost of longer analysis time.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

PubMed2006

Fast, comprehensive online two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography through the use of high temperature ultra-fast gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

A new approach to high speed, comprehensive online dual gradient elution 2DLC (LCxLC) based on the use of ultra-fast, high temperature gradient elution reversed phase chromatography is described. Entirely conventional gradient elution instrumentation and columns are assembled in a system which develops a total peak capacity of about 900 in 25 min; this is equivalent to roughly one peak/2 s. Each second dimension gradient is done in a cycle time of 21 s and the peak retention times measured for a set of twenty six indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) derivatives are reproducible to 0.2 s. Each peak eluting from the first dimension column is sampled at least twice across its width, as the corresponding peaks on the second dimension column appear in two or three consecutive second dimension chromatograms, clearly indicating that there is little loss in the resolution gained in the first dimension separation. Application to the separation of the low molecular weight components of wild-type and mutant maize seedlings indicates the presence of about 100 peaks on a timescale of 25 min. Compelling illustrations of the analytical potential of fast, high temperature 2DLC are evident in the clear presence of nine distinct peaks in a single second dimension chromatogram from a single quite narrow first dimension peak, and the great power of 2DLC to solve the "analytic dynamic range" problem inherent in the measurement of small peaks that are neighbors to a gigantic peak.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2006

Peak capacity optimization of peptide separations in reversed-phase gradient elution chromatography: fixed column format.

The optimization of peak capacity in gradient elution RPLC is essential for the separation of multicomponent samples such as those encountered in proteomic research. In this work, we study the effect of gradient time (tG), flow rate (F), temperature (T), and final eluent strength (phi(final)) on the peak capacity of separations of peptides that are representative of the range in peptides found in a tryptic digest. We find that there are very strong interactions between the individual variables (e.g., flow rate and gradient time) which make the optimization quite complicated. On a given column, one should first set the gradient time to the longest tolerable and then set the temperature to the highest achievable with the instrument. Next, the flow rate should be optimized using a reasonable but arbitrary value of phi(final). Last, the final eluent strength should be adjusted so that the last solute elutes as close as possible to the gradient time. We also develop an easily implemented, highly efficient, and effective Monte Carlo search strategy to simultaneously optimize all the variables. We find that gradient steepness is an important parameter that influences peak capacity and an optimum range of gradient steepness exists in which the peak capacity is maximized.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Development of acid stable, hyper-crosslinked, silica-based reversed-phase liquid chromatography supports for the separation of organic bases.

A new generation of extremely acid stable "hyper-crosslinked" (HC) phases have been developed with good plate counts for basic drug separations. In our previous work, we successfully developed an approach for synthesizing HC stationary phases on silica substrates using aluminum trichloride catalyzed Friedel-Crafts (F-C) chemistry to improve the stability of silica-based RPLC stationary phases at low pH. However, the performance of basic analytes on these HC phases under acidic conditions was unusually poor compared to that of conventional silica-based C18 phases. The effects of the specific F-C catalysts used and the specific silica substrate on the chromatographic properties of HC phases have been studied. Modified synthetic strategies that give both good observed plate counts for basic analytes under acidic conditions and very good low pH stability without compromising other chromatographic properties of the hyper-crosslinked phases have been developed. Replacement of aluminum trichloride with tin tetrachloride as the catalyst for the F-C chemistry and use of a very high purity silica result in significantly improved plate counts for basic analytes. In formic acid buffered mobile phases, which are highly compatible with electrospray ionization LC-MS, basic analytes showed much better performance on the tin tetrachloride catalyzed HC phases than on any conventional commercial phase tested. The tin tetrachloride catalyzed HC phase is as stable as the original aluminum trichloride catalyzed HC phases, and much more stable than the bench mark acid stable commercial phase.

Acids↗

PubMed2006

Isocratic and gradient elution chromatography: a comparison in terms of speed, retention reproducibility and quantitation.

Chromatographers are cautioned to avoid gradient elution when isocratic elution will do. In this work, we compared the analytical properties of gradient and isocratic separations of a sample which can be done quite readily under isocratic conditions. We found that gradient elution gave a shorter overall analysis with similar resolution of the critical pair compared to isocratic elution without sacrificing repeatability in retention time, peak area and peak height or linearity of the calibration curve. We also obtained acceptable repeatability in peak area/height and linearity of calibrations curves for a sample that required gradient elution using a practical baseline subtraction technique. Based on these results and related work which show that columns can be reequilibrated by flushing with less than two column volumes of the initial eluent, we conclude that many of the reasons given to avoid gradient elution deserve serious reconsideration, especially for those samples which are easily separated isocratically. However, we believe isocratic elution will remain preferable when: (1) the sample contains less than 10 weakly retained components (i.e. the last peak elutes with k' < 5) or (2) the gradient baseline impedes trace analysis.

Calibration↗

PubMed2006

A practical approach to maximizing peak capacity by using long columns packed with pellicular stationary phases for proteomic research.

Maximization of peak capacity is a very important step in developing one-dimensional separations of complex samples. In recent work, it was shown that the use of small particles in combination with the new technique of ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) was able to generate very high peak capacities. Here we show the ability of conventional HPLC instrumentation to give comparable peak capacities to those obtained in UHPLC for the important case of complex mixtures of peptides but at much lower pressures by using a 60 cm long set of columns packed with 5 microm pellicular (superficially porous) particles. We first show, in complete agreement with the well known results of the theory of isocratic separations that, when time is not limiting, the best peak capacities in gradient elution chromatography are obtained by using large particles and the longest column that can be operated at the pump's pressure limit. Two different types of 5 microm particles (superficially porous and totally porous) were compared for their efficiency in gradient chromatography of peptides. We find that the pellicular material gave about 50% higher peak capacity compared to the analogous porous material. A 60 cm column set packed with pellicular particles was made by connecting short columns in series; a peak capacity of about 460 was obtained in 4 h at room temperature. Increasing the column temperature to 70 degrees C reduced the analysis time to 2 h and further increased the peak capacity to more than 500. The number of peaks observed in the separation of bovine serum albumin tryptic peptides was greatly increased and the separation quality was significantly improved.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2005

Identification of the mass transfer mechanisms involved in the transport of human immunoglobulin-G in N,N,N',N'-ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid-modified zirconia.

Zirconia particles modified with N,N,N',N'-ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid (EDTPA), further referred to as r_PEZ, were studied as a support material for use in chromatography. Our previous studies have demonstrated the utility of r_PEZ in the separation of immunoglobulins from biological fluids. In the present study we sought to understand the underlying factors and identify the rate-limiting mechanisms that govern the transport of biomolecules in r_PEZ. Pulse injection techniques were used to elucidate the individual mass transfer parameters. Elution profiles obtained under retained and unretained conditions were approximated by the Gaussian equation and the corresponding HETP contributions were estimated. The dependence of the HETP values on incremental salt concentration in the mobile phase was determined. Resulting data in conjunction with the equations outlined in literature were used to estimate the theoretical number of transfer units for the chromatographic separation process. Our results indicate that surface diffusion probably plays a minor role; however pore diffusion was established to be the rate limiting mechanism for immunoglobulin G adsorption to r_PEZ. The HETP based methodology may be used to estimate the rate limiting mechanisms of mass transfer for any given chromatographic system under appropriate conditions.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2005

High temperature fast chromatography of proteins using a silica-based stationary phase with greatly enhanced low pH stability.

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is very widely used for the separation and characterization of proteins and peptides. A novel type of highly stable silica-based stationary phase has been developed for protein separations. A dense monolayer of dimethyl-(chloromethyl)phenylethyl)-chlorosilane (DM-CMPES) on the surface of silica is "hyper-crosslinked" with a polyfunctional aromatic crosslinker through Friedel-Crafts chemistry resulting in stationary phases with extraordinary stability in acidic media. Elemental analysis data confirm the high degree of cross-linking among the surface groups. The hyper-crosslinked phases are extremely stable under highly acidic mobile phase conditions even at a temperature as high as 150 degrees C. A wide-pore (300 A) material made in this way is used here to separate proteins by a reversed-phase mechanism and compared to a commercially available "sterically protected" C18 phase. For small molecules, including neutral and basic compounds, these crosslinked phases give comparable peak shape and efficiency to the commercial phase. Our results show that no pore blockage takes place as commonly afflicts polymer coated phases. In consequence, protein separations on the new phases are acceptable. Using strong ion-pairing reagents, such as HPF6, improves the separation efficiency. Compared to the commercial phases, these new phases can be used at lower pHs and much higher temperatures thereby enabling much faster separations which is the primary focus of this work. Better efficiency for proteins was obtained at high temperature. However, at conventional linear velocities the instability of proteins at high temperature becomes a problem which establishes an upper temperature limit. Uses of a narrowbore column and high flow rates both solves this problem by reducing the time that proteins spend on the hot column and, of course, speeds up the separation of the protein mixture. Finally, an ultrafast gradient (<1 min) protein separation was obtained by utilizing the high temperature and thus high linear velocities afforded by the extreme stability of these new phases. The phases are stable even after 50h of exposure to 0.1% TFA at 120 degrees C. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Csaba Horvath whose work in high temperature HPLC inspired the development of the stationary phases described here.

Chemical Phenomena↗

PubMed2005

A practical approach to transferring linear gradient elution methods.

Attempts to theoretically address the problems involved in transferring linear gradient elution methods have been somewhat ad hoc due to the simplifying assumptions usually made in conventional gradient elution theory. Until now, all equations based on the k* parameter of linear gradient elution theory used as the basis for predicting the separation selectivity have not explicitly included the effect of the dwell volume (VD). Using an exact equation for predicting k*, that is, one which fully accounts in an a priori fashion for VD, we find a set of simple yet exact equations which unequivocally must be satisfied to transfer an optimized linear gradient elution method from one system (column or instrument or both) to another. These relationships absolutely mandate that a change in the instrument dwell volume requires a proportional change in the column volume; in turn, a change in the column volume requires a proportional change in the flow rate and/or gradient time to maintain a constant gradient steepness. Although we are not the first to suggest these guidelines, this work provides a complete theoretical foundation for these exact guidelines for the maintenance of gradient selectivity for the case of transferring a linear gradient elution method between different columns packed with the same particles and/or between different instruments.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

PubMed2005

HIV-1 subtype diversity in Minnesota.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 poses significant public-health and clinical challenges. In North America, subtype B is most prevalent. HIV-1 subtyping is not integrated into routine HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome surveillance in the United States. In 2003, the Minnesota Department of Health piloted HIV-1 subtyping with routine surveillance to describe the existence and variety of non-subtype B strains. METHODS: Targeted HIV-1 subtype surveillance was conducted on 98 African-born HIV-infected patients. Sentinel subtype surveillance was conducted in a Minneapolis sexually transmitted disease clinic on 28 newly diagnosed non-African HIV-positive patients. Subtype determination was based on a partial sequence of the gp41 region of the HIV-1 env gene. RESULTS: Subtyping was successful for 87 of 98 samples from African-born HIV-infected patients; 95% were non-B subtypes. The 7 subtypes observed were consistent with strains endemic in patients' birth regions. Subtyping was also completed for samples from 25 of 28 non-African-born patients; all were subtype B. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple HIV-1 subtypes are present in Minnesota. Our data suggest that most of the HIV cases in Minnesota among African-born patients are non-B subtypes. Population-based surveillance inclusive of groups at high risk for variant strains is needed to monitor the prevalence and variety of HIV subtypes in the United States.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Role of ion pairing in anionic additive effects on the separation of cationic drugs in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Mobile phase additives can significantly affect the separation of cationic drugs in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Although there are many applications for anionic additives in RPLC separations, the retention mechanism of basic drugs in the presence of inorganic and highly hydrophilic anionic species in the mobile phase is not at all well understood. Two major retention mechanisms by which anionic additives can influence the retention of cations are: (1) ion pair formation in the mobile phase with subsequent retention of the neutral ion pair; (2) pre-sorption of anionic additives on the stationary phase followed by "dynamic ion-exchange" or "electrostatic interaction" with the analytes. Because the use of ion pair chromatography in the separation of proteins, peptides, and basic drugs is rapidly increasing, understanding the retention mechanism involved is becoming more important, especially for the smaller commonly used hydrophilic anionic additives (e.g., formate HCOO, chloride Cl-, trifluoroacetate CF3COO-, perchlorate ClO4-, and hexafluorophosphate PF6-). In this work, we compared various anionic additives in light of their effects on the retention of basic drugs. As did many others we found that the addition of anionic additives (Cl-, CF3COO-, ClO4-, PF6-) profoundly influences the retention of basic drugs. In order to explain the data and differentiate the mechanisms by which the anionic additives perturb the chromatography, we used ion pair formation constants independently measured by capillary electrophoresis (CE) under the mobile phase conditions (pH, solvent composition) identical to those used in chromatography. Agreement between the predicted and experimental chromatographic data under various conditions was evaluated. Under specific circumstances (e.g., pH, stationary phase, and nature of anionic additive), we conclude that the ion pair mechanism is more important than the dynamic ion-exchange and at other conditions it remains a significant contribution.

Anions↗

PubMed2005

Fast, comprehensive two-dimensional HPLC separation of tryptic peptides based on high-temperature HPLC.

Two-dimensional HPLC (2D-LC) has recently received considerable attention, and is being used as an alternative to 2D gel electrophoresis in proteomics research. The greatest impediment to the widespread use of 2D-LC is the long analysis time ranging up to days per analysis, making the technique impractical for many jobs. Here we focus on improving the speed of gradient separations since these are typically used as the second dimension in peptide separations by 2D-LC. Specifically we describe high-temperature, ultrafast HPLC conditions, along with the instrument modifications needed to reduce the analysis time of each complete second-dimension gradient separation to tens of seconds. Most importantly, this system is capable of generating a high peak capacity (1350) characteristic of comprehensive 2D-LC in a relatively shorter analysis time (20 min) with a sampling rate sufficient to minimize information loss with simpler instrumentation than currently used; this is equivalent to one unit of peak capacity per second.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2005

Effect of anionic additive type on ion pair formation constants of basic pharmaceuticals.

Due to their beneficial effect on selectivity, peak shape, and sample loading, the use of mobile phase anionic additives, such as formate (HCOO-), chloride (Cl-), and trifluoroacetate (CF3COO-), is increasing in both reversed-phase chromatography (RPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Similarly, perchlorate is a common "ion pair" agent in reversed-phase separation of peptides. Although many studies have suggested that anions effect in chromatography is due to the formation of ion pairs in the mobile phase between the anions and cationic analytes, there has been no independent verification that ion pairs are, in fact, responsible for these observations. In order to understand the mechanisms by which anionic additives influence retention in chromatography and ionization efficiency in electrospray mass spectrometry, we studied the formation of ion pairs between a number of prototypical basic drugs and various additives by measuring the effect of anionic additives on the electrophoretic mobility of the probe drugs under solvent conditions commonly used in chromatography. For the first time, ion pair formation between basic drugs and anionic additives under conditions commonly used in reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been confirmed independently with all anions (i.e. hexafluorophosphate, perchlorate, trifluoroacetate, and chloride) used in this study. We measured ion pair formation constants (Kip) for different anionic additives using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and obtained quantitative estimates for the extent of ion pairing in buffered acetonitrile-water. The data clearly indicate that different anionic additives ion pair with cationic drugs to quite different extents. The ion pair formation constants show a clear trend with the order being: PF6- > ClO4- > CF3COO- > Cl-. However, the extent of ion pairing is not large. At a typical RPLC mobile phase additive concentration of 20mM, the percentages of the analytes that are present as ion pairs are about 15%, 6%, and 3% for hexafluorophosphate, perchlorate, and trifluoroacetate, respectively. The fraction of the analytes present as a chloride pair is even smaller.

Amitriptyline↗

PubMed2005

High speed gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

A major disadvantage of gradient elution in terms of speed results from the need to adequately re-equilibrate the column. This work distinguishes two states of re-equilibration: (1) run-to-run repeatability and (2) full equilibration. We find that excellent repeatability (+/-0.002 min in retention time) is achieved with at most 2 column volumes of re-equilibration whereas full equilibration can require considerably more than 20 column volumes. We have investigated the effects of adding ancillary solvents (e.g. n-propanol, n-butanol) to the eluent and changing the particle pore size, initial eluent composition and type, column temperature and flow rate on the speed of full equilibration. Full equilibration seems to be more thermodynamically limited than kinetically controlled. Also, we show that the main limitation to reducing the full equilibration time is related to instrument design issues; a novel approach to overcome these instrumental issues is described.

Chromatography, Liquid↗