Natalizumab is a humanized recombinant monoclonal IgG4 antibody used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Commonly used methods for natalizumab and anti-natalizumab antibodies quantification are enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Measurement of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies can be challenging due to the resemblance to human plasma immunoglobulins. Recent developments in mass spectrometry enables to analyze vast variety of large protein molecules. The aim of this study was to develop a LC-MS/MS method for determining natalizumab in human serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and apply it to clinical settings. For successful quantification, it was necessary to find specific sequences of peptides in natalizumab. This immunoglobulin was treated with dithiothreitol and iodoacetamide, cleaved with trypsin into short specific peptides and determined on a UPLC-MS/MS system. An Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column at 55 °C and gradient elution was used for analysis. Intra- and interassay accuracies and precisions were tested at four concentration levels. Precision was determined by coefficients of variation and was in the range of 0.8-10.2 %, with accuracy in the range of 89.8-106.4 %. The concentration of natalizumab in patient samples ranged from 1.8 to 193.3 μg/mL. The method was validated according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guideline, met all acceptance criteria for accuracy and precision, and is suitable for clinical applications. In comparison to immunoassay, which can be elevated by cross-reaction with endogenous immunoglobulins, the results of developed LC-MS/MS method are more accurate and specific.
Keywords: Antibodies; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Multiple sclerosis; Natalizumab; Serum.
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