Selection of internal standards for quantitative analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The selection of an appropriate internal standard (IS) for quantification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is critical for the successful application of quantitative MALDI. Selection of the IS depends on the chemical similarity of the analyte and IS and the mass separation of the analyte and IS as a function of instrumental peak resolution. For the quantification of bovine insulin, a series of internal standards including horse heart cytochrome C, bovine insulin chain B, des-pentapeptide human insulin, and des-octapeptide porcine insulin was investigated. Des-pentapeptide human insulin was found to be the most appropriate internal standard (relative standard deviation of the standard curve slope = 2.99%, correlation coefficient = 0.988 in the range of 0.5-0.4 μmol/L). Two methods for measuring of the MALDI signal intensity were evaluated, direct peak integration following subtraction of a linear background and non-linear least squares curve fitting. The results obtained with these methods were equivalent.