The dynamic range problem in the analysis of the plasma proteome.

One of the greatest challenges in analyzing the plasma proteome is the wide range of concentration of different proteins. The current study examines the range of protein concentration for 18 proteins measured over a year in a clinical laboratory to provide data on pathological extremes in protein concentrations. The complete measured range, from upper limits for albumin to lowest values for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), represented more than 10 logs of molar abundance. A number of plasma proteins measured in the clinical laboratory varied over a concentration range spanning more than 4 logs, and limits of detection of clinical assays were inadequate to assess full concentration ranges of several proteins. Considering reported values from studies using higher sensitivity assays suggest that plasma concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and cardiac troponin I vary by more than 7 logs. All of the plasma proteins measured in the present study represent secretory proteins or highly expressed components of specific tissues. Thus, the dynamic range for these components is likely to greatly underestimate the total range of protein concentration in the plasma proteome.