Figure 1.

SELDI-TOF MS technique. Serum samples are spotted onto IMAC-3 copper chips^® (Ciphergen Biosystems). The chip is irradiated with a laser, resulting in ionization of the adherent molecules. The ions travel through a vacuum tube and their mass-to-charge ratios are calculated from their time of flight through the vacuum chamber. IMAC-3, immobilized metal affinity capture; SELDI-TOF MS, surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.