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Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

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October 30, 2025
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November 5, 2025

Copyright (c) 2025 Ali Saeed Abdullah Alzahrani, Hani Awied Aied Alharbi, Ali Abdullah Mohammed Alsaab, Yasir Ali Muhammad Al-Zahrani, Emad Ali Muhsin Alattas, Ahmed Abdullah Orepi, Ali Abdullah Alzahrani, Majed Abdulrahman Alrashidi, Mansour Butayhan Al Mabdi, Ali Ahmed Alomari Alzhrani

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Mass Spectrometry in the Clinical Laboratory: Beyond Toxicology to Endocrinology and Microbiology

https://doi.org/10.64483/20252196
Ali Saeed Abdullah Alzahrani
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Hani Awied Aied Alharbi
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Ali Abdullah Mohammed Alsaab
Health Care Center Director Specialist Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Yasir Ali Muhammad Al-Zahrani
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Emad Ali Muhsin Alattas
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Abdullah Orepi
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Ali Abdullah Alzahrani
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Majed Abdulrahman Alrashidi
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Mansour Butayhan Al Mabdi
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Ali Ahmed Alomari Alzhrani
Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Ali Saeed Abdullah Alzahrani

Alsaalzahrani113918@Moh.Gov.Sa

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

Abstract

Background: The clinical laboratory has witnessed a paradigm shift with the introduction of mass spectrometry (MS) into its activities, extending its role way beyond the traditional field of toxicology.


Aim: This review comprehensively discusses the revolutionizing impact of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS on the diagnosis and management of human disease, particularly in endocrinology and microbiology.


Methods: Synthesis of concepts, applications, and relative advantages of these MS methods from the current literature between 2015 and 2024 was reviewed.


Results: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) emerged as the gold standard in endocrinology with improved specificity for steroid, thyroid hormone, and vitamin measurement, thereby enabling accurate diagnosis of complex disorders. Meanwhile, MALDI-TOF MS has revolutionized clinical microbiology by providing quick, accurate, and cost-effective microbial identification, with an appreciable shortening of the time to effective antimicrobial therapy. Further, MS/MS remains the basis of newborn screening for congenital errors of metabolism. Despite challenges like standardization and cost, newer directions like mass spectrometry imaging and ambient ionization techniques promise further advancements.


Conclusion: The findings verify that MS/MS and MALDI-TOF MS lead the path of the modern clinical laboratory's commitment to deliver precise, individualized, and prompt patient treatment.

Keywords

Mass Spectrometry, Clinical Diagnostics, Endocrinology, Microbiology, Newborn Screening.
Alzahrani, A. S. A., Hani Awied Aied Alharbi, Ali Abdullah Mohammed Alsaab, Yasir Ali Muhammad Al-Zahrani, Emad Ali Muhsin Alattas, Ahmed Abdullah Orepi, … Ali Ahmed Alomari Alzhrani. (2025). Mass Spectrometry in the Clinical Laboratory: Beyond Toxicology to Endocrinology and Microbiology. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2(2), 757–765. https://doi.org/10.64483/20252196
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