Anwendungsgebiete der Massenspektrometrie in der Klinischen Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin / Application of mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine

Abstract

Abstract The use of mass spectrometry (MS) as an analytical tool becomes increasingly important in clinical laboratory diagnostics. In the last decade there has been an exponential growth in clinical laboratory, pharmacology, and toxicology applications. At present, the spectrum of MS applications ranges from the measurement of single analytes to qualitative and quantitative multiparametric analyses. Combining tandem mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure ionization techniques offers high analytic sensitivity and specificity, robustness, and the option for high throughput analyses at low running costs. Today, this analytical platform is already used in routine clinical laboratory to screen for inherited metabolic disorders in newborns, for therapeutic drug monitoring, and for hormone profiling. In addition, SELDI-TOF and MALDI-TOF techniques are used for clinical proteomic pattern diagnostics. This short review will give an overview of the current status of mass spectrometry techniques, established applications in clinical laboratory diagnostics, and the perspectives for future developments in laboratory medicine.