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Tackling the Orexin Conundrum: An Optimized LC–MS/MS Method Demonstrates Accurate CSF Quantification and Absence in Peripheral Blood

delete2026-05-12
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PRE
AI
Y
Yan Cao
Y
Yimeng Zhang
J
Jiaqi Han
Z
Zhengwen Xu
张慧敏 cover
张慧敏 (Huimin Zhang)
Y
Yannan Yang
D
Dong Wang
Y
Yanhong Zhai
S
Shuqin Zhan *
H
Haifeng Li *
Z
Zheng Cao *
DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.6c00454delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin-A is the gold-standard biomarker for narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), however, conventional radioimmunoassays (RIA) often suffer from cross-reactivity and overestimation, fueling long-standing conundrum regarding orexin detection in peripheral blood. In this study, we developed an ultrasensitive LC–MS/MS method (LLOQ = 0.1 pg/mL) incorporating a streamlined one-step protein precipitation protocol coupled with acid-shielding and cocktail-protection strategies to mitigate severe nonspecific adsorption and enzymatic degradation. Verification in paired CSF and blood samples from narcolepsy patients and controls revealed that orexin-B and peripheral orexins remain consistently below the detection limit (<0.1 pg/mL), proving that previously reported ng/mL levels in blood are analytical artifacts. Our LC–MS/MS approach resolved a 50-fold quantitative overestimation by RIA and significantly improved diagnostic resolution for narcolepsy type 2 (AUC = 0.73, P < 0.05) where RIA failed to achieve statistical significance (P = 0.297). This study establishes a high-specificity analytical framework as a practical reference standard for refined sleep disorder diagnostics and confirms that CSF orexin-A remains the currently the most reliable clinical biomarker.
Keywords:
Central nervous system
Diagnostic imaging
Extraction
Peptides and proteins
Stability

Journal

Analytical Chemistry cover
Analytical Chemistry
IF:
6.7
Papers:
4.7W
Citations:
15.9W

Organization

X
xuanwu hospital of capital medical university
Scholars:
9
Papers: 4
Citations: 0
C
capital medical university
Scholars:
1.2W
Papers: 3.2K
Citations: 0
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