Cord Blood Analysis Provides Wealth of Biomarkers

Blood derived from the human umbilical cord has been analyzed to provide vital health information and identify potential biomarkers.

A detailed analysis of umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been performed using mass spectroscopy, which gave a broader spectrum of the proteins present than was previously identified.

Scientists at the Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona, USA) in a multi-institutional effort, pooled UCB samples from 12 newborns, whose maternal backgrounds varied in terms of ethnicity, educational background, body weight, exposure to environmental toxins and also, to cigarette smoke. With the aid of modern high-throughput mass spectroscopy, UCB can be rapidly screened to reveal hundreds of proteins in parallel from a single sample having a volume of as small as 0.008 fluid ounces. The samples from the 12 newborns were combined into a composite. Among the UCB donors, six were African American, five were Caucasian and one was Asian.

The team identified a total of 1,210 proteins using mass spectroscopy. The findings represent a 6-fold increase in the number UCB proteins thus far described, which is a significant advance. The proteins identified are associated with 138 different metabolic and disease pathways and provide invaluable information for the identification of biomarkers, which act as early warning indices of disease, toxic exposure, or disruptions in cellular processes. In addition to presenting intriguing candidates for new biomarkers in UCB, the study also identified 38 proteins corresponding to existing Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver Spring, MD, USA) approved biomarkers for adult blood.

This type of study improves prospects for early disease diagnosis, by prioritizing biomarkers based on known proteins linked with disease. The group was able to obtain the protein data with as little as 240 µL of blood. This is important, as cord blood is a precious resource, exploited for other medical uses. Stem cells obtained from UCB for example are used for bone marrow transplantation and other therapeutic purposes. Of the proteins detected in UCB, around 25% were previously detected in adults.

Rolf Halden, PhD, the senior author of the study said, "Mapping of the full spectrum of proteins detectable in cord blood is the first, critical step in the discovery of biomarkers to improve human health." Mass spectroscopic analysis of UCB offers the prospect of a global approach to assessing health risks in newborns, allowing the simultaneous observation of numerous indicators of health and disease. The technique should be an invaluable aid to early diagnosis for a range of conditions, with the potential to dramatically improve health outcomes. The study was published online on January 21, 2012 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Related Links:
Arizona State University
US Food and Drug Administration