AI Article Synopsis
- Measuring plasma retinol binding protein is crucial for assessing nutrition in newborns, but limited blood volume makes it challenging, especially for preterm infants.
- A new assay using trypsin digestion and mass spectrometry was developed, requiring just 5 µl of blood, and was compared with standard testing methods.
- The new method showed a wider range of detectable concentrations and raised concerns about the accuracy of immunoassays for lower levels of retinol binding protein in this vulnerable population.
Article Abstract
Background: The measurement of plasma concentrations of retinol binding protein is a component of nutritional assessment in neonatal intensive care. However, serial testing in newborns is hampered by the limited amount of blood that can be sampled. Limitations are most severe with preterm infants, for whom close monitoring may be most important.
Methods: We developed an assay to quantify retinol binding protein using trypsin digestion and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which requires a serum or plasma volume of 5 µl. Additionally, we validated the method according to current recommendations and performed comparison with a standard nephelometry platform in clinical use.
Results: The assay demonstrated linearity from below 1 mg/dL (0.48 µM) to more than 20 mg/dL (9.7 µM), and an imprecision of 11.8% at 0.43 mg/dL (0.21 µM). The distribution of results observed with the new method was different when compared with nephelometry.
Conclusion: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry facilitated testing a smaller sample volume, thereby increasing the ability to monitor key nutritional markers in premature infants. The differences in results compared with a commercially-available nephelometric assay revealed questionable results for lower concentrations by immunoassay.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8671195 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2021.10.005 | DOI Listing |
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