Comprehensive assessment of matrix effects in metallomics: Evaluating 27 metals in serum, heparine-plasma-, EDTA-plasma and citrate-plasma by ICP-MS analysis

Abstract

Background

Metallomics analysis is essential for studying environmental metal exposure and distinguishing between healthy and diseased individuals in large-scale studies. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is widely used due to its high sensitivity and ability to analyze multiple elements across a broad concentration range.

Aim

Developed to address key challenges in large-scale epidemiological studies, this method specifically focuses on evaluating the performance of metals measurement in biobank blood matrices that may not be optimized for metallomics, providing key insights for biobank planning

Methods

An ICP-MS-based analytical method using a "dilute and shoot" approach was developed to target 27 elements. The study assessed the behavior of these elements in serum and different plasma types (EDTA, citrate, and heparin) based on limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), precision, accuracy, and quality controls.

Results

Heparin plasma and serum provided the most consistent measurements, with most elements exhibiting a coefficient of variation below 15 %. Citrated and EDTA plasma displayed higher variability, likely due to contamination from collection tubes and metal-anticoagulant interactions. Among 13 certified elements, Mg, K, Fe, Cu, Se, Co, and Ni matched reference values, while Ca, Zn, Cr, Mn, and Al were lower, and Hg was higher. Of the 14 elements with indicative values, all except Cd, which was significantly lower, aligned with Seronorm™ references.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the impact of plasma matrices on metal measurements in biobank studies and emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate blood matrices and collection tubes to ensure accurate and reliable elemental analysis in large-scale epidemiological research.