Mass spectrometry in clinical laboratories has traditionally focussed on small molecule analysis making endocrinology applications a natural choice given the numerous diagnostic targets in the steroid family, many of which could be multiplexed. Over time, methods for lower abundance steroids were successfully translated meaning that almost all small molecule targets in clinical endocrinology could be performed using mass spectrometry. This has paved the way for standardization efforts which have ultimately forced the improvements in the immunoassay industry. More recently, however improvements in quantitative mass spectrometric protein workflows have permitted the translation of a number of specific protein targets into routine analysis. In addition to the benefits in analytical specificity, judicious selection of peptide targets has permitted simultaneous quantitation and phenotyping in some cases. Mass spectrometry continues to clarify previously unnoticed but significant analytical problems with commercial immunoassays and permits the investigation of interferences in individual patient cases on an ad hoc basis.

临床实验室中的质谱法传统上专注于小分子分析，鉴于类固醇家族中的众多诊断目标，其中许多可以被复用，因此内分泌学应用成为自然选择。随着时间的推移，低丰度类固醇的方法被成功转化，这意味着临床内分泌学中几乎所有的小分子靶点都可以使用质谱法进行。这为标准化工作铺平了道路，最终推动了免疫测定行业的改进。然而，最近，定量质谱蛋白质工作流程的改进已经允许将许多特定的蛋白质目标转化为常规分析。除了在分析特异性方面的好处之外，在某些情况下，对肽靶点的明智选择允许同时进行定量和表型分析。质谱法继续澄清以前未被注意到但重要的商业免疫测定分析问题，并允许在单个患者病例中调查干扰临时基础。