Analysis of High Molecular Weight Analytes

Summary

HPLC—electrospray mass spectrometry can be used for the analysis of abnormal or variant haemoglobins Samples of 10 pmol are injected into an HPLC mobile phase of equal parts of water and methanol containing 0.1% formic acid followed by electrospray mass spectrometric detection. Haemoglobins give a series of multiply charged ions which can be transformed by appropriate software to give a single peak for each haemoglobin (α, βand γ). Abnormal or variant haemoglobins give rise to different mass spectral displays for α, β and γ haemoglobins when compared with normal human haemoglobins and this can be used to diagnose illnesses such as sickle cell anaemia.