Quantitative mass spectrometry imaging of emtricitabine in cervical tissue model using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in peripheral blood mononuclear cells despite sustained, undetectable plasma viremia resulting from long-term antiretroviral therapy. However, the source of persistent HIV in such infected individuals remains unclear. Given recent data suggesting high levels of viral replication and profound depletion of CD4(+) T cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) of animals infected with simian immunodeficiency virus and HIV-infected humans, we sought to determine the level of CD4(+) T cell depletion as well as the degree and extent of HIV persistence in the GALT of infected individuals who had been receiving effective antiviral therapy for prolonged periods of time. We demonstrate incomplete recoveries of CD4(+) T cells in the GALT of aviremic, HIV-infected individuals who had received up to 9.9 years of effective antiretroviral therapy. In addition, we demonstrate higher frequencies of HIV infection in GALT, compared with PBMCs, in these aviremic individuals and provide evidence for cross-infection between these 2 cellular compartments. Together, these data provide a possible mechanism for the maintenance of viral reservoirs revolving around the GALT of HIV-infected individuals despite long-term viral suppression and suggest that the GALT may play a major role in the persistence of HIV in such individuals.

Mass spectrometric analysis of biomolecules under ambient conditions promises to enable the in vivo investigation of diverse biochemical changes in organisms with high specificity. Here we report on a novel combination of infrared laser ablation with electrospray ionization (LAESI) as an ambient ion source for mass spectrometry. As a result of the interactions between the ablation plume and the spray, LAESI accomplishes electrospray-like ionization. Without any sample preparation or pretreatment, this technique was capable of detecting a variety of molecular classes and size ranges (up to 66 kDa) with a detection limit of 8 and 25 fmol for verapamil and reserpine, respectively, and quantitation capabilities with a four-decade dynamic range. We demonstrated the utility of LAESI in a broad variety of applications ranging from plant biology to clinical analysis. Proteins, lipids, and metabolites were identified, and antihistamine excretion was followed via the direct analysis of bodily fluids (urine, blood, and serum). We also performed in vivo spatial profiling (on leaf, stem, and root) of metabolites in a French marigold (Tagetes patula) seedling.