Profiling cervical lavage fluid by SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

The mucosal surface of the female genital tract is the first site of contact for many sexually transmitted infections and serves as the first layer of defense. This layer has components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems to protect against infections. For these reasons, this fluid is a major focus of study to understand the pathogenesis of different infectious diseases. Novel tools are available to allow for the analysis of the components of this mucosal layer, including the area of proteomics. The emergence of proteomics has allowed for the development of many types of platforms for protein profiling, including gel-based technologies (2-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis) and mass spectrometry-based techniques. SELDI-TOF, a mass spectrometry-based platform coupled to on-chip chromatographic separation, has been developed as a high-throughput technique to profile complex protein samples. This chapter will outline detailed methods to profile cervical mucosal samples by SELDI-TOF and can serve as a guideline for other types of mucosal samples.