Diagnosis of carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Serum transferrin from patients with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome was analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry). Abnormal molecular species with a defect of one or two oligosaccharide chains of 2200 Da were clearly identified. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry will serve to diagnose this aetiologically unknown, metabolic disease.