Literature on immunological pretreatment and mass spectrometry was searched in the Web of Science database. The collected data were utilized for bibliometric analysis and literature review to identify trends in this field. Immunological pretreatment initially began in chemical toxicology using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and research interests later shifted to biologics pharmacokinetics, biomarkers, anti-drug antibodies and diagnosis. The key advantage of using mass spectrometry was the ability to distinguish molecular subtypes. Future research interests are expected to focus on a broader range of analyte types (such as intact protein mass spectrometry) and methodological improvements, including better protein digestion and microfluidics, aiming for faster, less labor-intensive and more reliable analysis through multiplexing and automation.
Keywords: bibliometrics; biomarker; high resolution mass spectrometry; immunocapture; multiplexing; tandem mass spectrometry.
The affinity of antibody can be used in preparing biological samples before instrumental analysis. Mass spectrometry is sensitive and selective analytical method widely used for biological samples analysis. Combination of these techniques, called immunocapture mass spectrometry, is attracting interest in the analysis of biofluids. In this article, history and current hotspots of research in immunocapture mass spectrometry were described. Immunological pretreatment initially began in detecting low molecular weight biologically active substances. Later, research interest shifted to proteins. The conceived strength of the technique appeared in literatures was combining antibody's ability to capture specific material and mass spectrometry's ability to analyze multiple analytical targets at the same time. Future research interests are methodological improvements, such as using newer and better reagents or analytical instruments and building more reliable and less labor-intensive analysis through automation.