Mass Spectrometry Meets Diagnostics

The section aims to familiarize users from all affected professional groups with the key laboratory medicine technology ‘mass spectrometry’ in all aspects regarding routine application. This includes conducting regular training sessions, presentations at conferences, networking with international societies, and drafting guidelines and consensus documents, involving experts from laboratories using these technologies and industry.

Mass spectrometric measurement methods now represent key technologies in a number of areas of clinical chemistry. Their application ranges from measuring levels of medications and drugs, detecting endocrinologically active substances (including peptides/proteins), to identifying microorganisms or point mutations. They thus represent a valuable alternative to conventional detection methods, which due to technological limitations have only begun to unfold in the last 1-2 decades. The section’s work accompanies this establishment process; in addition to the professional exchange among the involved specialists, which has a direct impact on the quality of laboratory results, attention is paid to current trends in instrumental development and laboratory medicine requirements for measurement methods. In this context, explicit reference is made to the diversity of ‘omics’ disciplines and microbiome research, which – especially in metabolomics, lipidomics, peptidomics, and proteomics – are inconceivable without mass spectrometry. The section therefore understands its work as interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary; close association and networking with the sections ‘Endocrinology’ and ‘Molecular Diagnostics’ as well as with the DGKL working groups ‘Accreditation’, ‘Extra-analytical Quality’, and ‘Clinical Toxicological Analytics’ is desired. Furthermore, the section offers an excellent platform to communicate scientific work in the DGKL through collaborations in national and international contexts, especially with GDCh, EFLM, IATDMCT, and IFCC.

Special Tasks

• International presence of developments and research achievements of the DGKL in the field of mass spectrometric diagnostics
• Clinical connection of LCMS work and dialogue with industry
• Promotion of young scientists
• Offer for continuing education and courses on clinical mass spectrometry (in development)
• Development and maintenance of quality standards for mass spectrometry in clinical routine; QM standards

Activities

From December 2 to 3, 2024, the 22nd LC-MS/MS User Meeting of the DGKL Section Clinical Mass Spectrometry took place at Kloster Banz.

Thematic focuses were ‘Infection Diagnostics’ and ‘Automation of Mass Spectrometry’.