A method for improving SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry data quality

BACKGROUND: Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) is a powerful tool for rapidly generating high-throughput protein profiles from a large number of samples. However, the events that occur between the first and last sample run are likely to introduce technical variation in the results. METHODS: We fractionated and analyzed quality control and investigational serum samples on 3 Protein Chips and used statistical methods to identify poor-quality spectra and to identify and reduce technical variation. RESULTS: Using diagnostic plots, we were able to visually depict all spectra and to identify and remove those that were of poor quality. We detected a technical variation associated with when the samples were run (referred to as batch effect) and corrected for this variation using analysis of variance. These corrections increased the number of peaks that were reproducibly detected. CONCLUSION: By removing poor-quality, outlier spectra, we were able to increase peak detection, and by reducing the variance introduced when samples are processed and analyzed in batches, we were able to increase the reproducibility of peak detection.