Analysis of DNA adducts using high-performance separation techniques coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Identification and quantitation of covalent carcinogen-DNA adducts, an impo rtant class of biomarkers, is an integral goal in toxicological research. S ince these adducts are commonly present at very low levels in in vivo sampl es, sensitive and specific analytical methodologies are imperative for accu rate detection, characterization and quantitation. High-performance separat ions coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) provide the sensiti vity and specificity required for the analysis of DNA adducts. This review provides an overview over the research conducted in this area, focusing on the application of HPLC-ESI-MS and CE-ESI-MS techniques for structural anal ysis and quantitation of modified nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleot ides. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.