A UFLC-MS/MS Method for the Simultaneous Analysis of Urinary Podocin and Podocalyxin in Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome

Objective To create an efficient and robust mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous quantitation of podocin and podocalyxin in urine samples and to evaluate urinary podocin and podocalyxin levels in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS). Methods A mass spectrometric method was generated for the measurement of tryptic peptides in urine sediment. Separation of peptides was achieved via liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometric analyses were conducted by electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Results Intra- and interassay precision values were below 12% and accuracies ranged from 87% to 111% for both of peptides. The validated method was successfully applied to detect these peptides in patients with NS. Urine podocin and podocalyxin levels were significantly higher in patients with NS compared to healthy controls. Conclusions This proposed mass spectrometric method provides technological evidence that will benefit the clinical field in the early diagnosis and follow-up of NS.