Applications of Mass Spectrometry to the Clinical Laboratory
Applications of Mass Spectrometry to the Clinical Laboratory
Mass spectrometry is an analytic technique with high specificity and a growing presence in laboratory medicine. Various types of mass spectrometers are being used in an increasing number of clinical laboratories around the world, and, as a result, significant improvements in assay performance are occurring rapidly in areas such as toxicology, endocrinology, and biochemical genetics. This review serves as a basic introduction to mass spectrometry, its uses, and associated challenges in the clinical laboratory and ends with a brief discussion of newer methods with the greatest potential for clinical diagnostics.
Methods to analyze any analyte by mass spectrometry (MS) can generally be divided into 3 steps: (1) sample preparation, (2) chromatographic separation (if needed), and (3) mass spectrometric analysis. In-depth discussions of each of these steps are available in textbooks and journal articles referenced throughout. In addition, readers are directed to materials prepared by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for detailed recommendations about the use of mass spectrometry in the clinical laboratory. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief and nontechnical introduction to the use of mass spectrometry in the clinical laboratory.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Mass spectrometry is an analytic technique with high specificity and a growing presence in laboratory medicine. Various types of mass spectrometers are being used in an increasing number of clinical laboratories around the world, and, as a result, significant improvements in assay performance are occurring rapidly in areas such as toxicology, endocrinology, and biochemical genetics. This review serves as a basic introduction to mass spectrometry, its uses, and associated challenges in the clinical laboratory and ends with a brief discussion of newer methods with the greatest potential for clinical diagnostics.
Introduction
Methods to analyze any analyte by mass spectrometry (MS) can generally be divided into 3 steps: (1) sample preparation, (2) chromatographic separation (if needed), and (3) mass spectrometric analysis. In-depth discussions of each of these steps are available in textbooks and journal articles referenced throughout. In addition, readers are directed to materials prepared by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for detailed recommendations about the use of mass spectrometry in the clinical laboratory. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief and nontechnical introduction to the use of mass spectrometry in the clinical laboratory.