Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Intact Hemoglobin A2 by Precursor Ion Isolation and Detection

Precise and accurate quantification of proteins is essential in clinical laboratories. Here, we present a mass spectrometry (MS)-based method for the quantification of intact proteins in an ion trap mass spectrometer. The developed method is based on the isolation and detection of precursor ions for the quantification of the corresponding signals. The method was applied for the quantification of hemoglobin (Hb) A(2), a marker used for the diagnosis of a beta-thalassemia trait. The a and 5 globin chains, corresponding to total Hb and HbA(2), respectively, were isolated in the ion trap at specific charge states and ejected without activation. Areas of the corresponding isolated precursor ions were used to calculate the delta to alpha ratio. Three series of quantifications were performed on 7 different days. The standard curve fitted linearly (R-2 = 0.9982) and allowed quantification of HbA(2) over a concentration range from 3% to 1896 of total Hb. Analytical imprecision ranged from 3.5% to 5.3%, which is enough to determine if the HbA(2) level is below 3.5% or above 3.7%. In conclusion, our method reaches precision requirements that would be acceptable for the quantitative measurement of diagnostic proteins, such as HbA(2), in clinical laboratories.