Liquid chromatography. Clinical applications

The last two decades have faced a constant evolution in the clinical applications of liquid chromatography (LC) especially due to the emerging diagnostic capabilities of mass spectrometry (MS) in clinical research and routine clinical analyses. LC and LC-MS are useful diagnostic supports in several clinical specialties such as metabolic disorders, endocrinology, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Conventional clinical methods, e.g. immuneassays, pose several challenges when applied to small molecules, which, conversely, are suitable targets of the LC based analytical methods. LC and LC-MS meet the criteria of wide dynamic concentration ranges and flexibility required in the current approaches of clinical chemistry. This article covers several aspects of the LC and LC-MS based assays, from sample preparation to separation strategies, in many areas of clinical applications.