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. 2022 Jul;22(13-14):e2100170.
doi: 10.1002/pmic.202100170. Epub 2022 May 31.

Stability and reproducibility of proteomic profiles in epidemiological studies: comparing the Olink and SOMAscan platforms

Danielle E Haslam  1   2 , Jun Li  2   3 , Simon T Dillon  4 , Xuesong Gu  4 , Yin Cao  5   6   7 , Oana A Zeleznik  1 , Naoko Sasamoto  8 , Xuehong Zhang  1   2 , A Heather Eliassen  1   2   3 , Liming Liang  3   9 , Meir J Stampfer  1   2   3 , Samia Mora  10 , Zsu-Zsu Chen  11 , Kathryn L Terry  3   8 , Robert E Gerszten  12   13 , Frank B Hu  1   2   3 , Andrew T Chan  1   14   15 , Towia A Libermann  4 , Shilpa N Bhupathiraju  1   2
Affiliations

Stability and reproducibility of proteomic profiles in epidemiological studies: comparing the Olink and SOMAscan platforms

Danielle E Haslam et al. Proteomics. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Limited data exist on the performance of high-throughput proteomics profiling in epidemiological settings, including the impact of specimen collection and within-person variability over time. Thus, the Olink (972 proteins) and SOMAscan7Kv4.1 (7322 proteoforms of 6596 proteins) assays were utilized to measure protein concentrations in archived plasma samples from the Nurses' Health Studies and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Spearman's correlation coefficients (r) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess agreement between (1) 42 triplicate samples processed immediately, 24-h or 48-h after blood collection from 14 participants; and (2) 80 plasma samples from 40 participants collected 1-year apart. When comparing samples processed immediately, 24-h, and 48-h later, 55% of assays had an ICC/r ≥ 0.75 and 87% had an ICC/r ≥ 0.40 in Olink compared to 44% with an ICC/r ≥ 0.75 and 72% with an ICC/r ≥ 0.40 in SOMAscan7K. For both platforms, >90% of the assays were stable (ICC/r ≥ 0.40) in samples collected 1-year apart. Among 817 proteins measured with both platforms, Spearman's correlations were high (r > 0.75) for 14.7% and poor (r < 0.40) for 44.8% of proteins. High-throughput proteomics profiling demonstrated reproducibility in archived plasma samples and stability after delayed processing in epidemiological studies, yet correlations between proteins measured with the Olink and SOMAscan7K platforms were highly variable.

Keywords: Aptamers; biomarkers; epidemiology studies; laboratory methods and tools; multiplexing; systems biology.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

For work unrelated to this study: Dr. Samia Mora has served as a consultant to Quest Diagnostics and Pfizer; Dr. Andrew T. Chan has served as a consultant to Bayer Pharma AG, Pfizer Inc, and Boehringer Ingelhemi; Dr. Yin Cao previously served as a consultant for Geneoscopy; Dr. Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju serves as a scientific consultant to LayerIV.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Olink and SOMAscan7K proteomics profiling delayed processing experiment: histograms representing the percentage of proteins with ICCs or Spearman’s correlation coefficients (r) ≥0.75 (excellent stability), 0.40–0.75 (fair to good stability), or < 0.40 (poor stability) from samples processed immediately versus 24-h versus 48-h stratified by protein molecular function class and anticoagulant type: OE, Olink proteomics profiling in blood samples collected in EDTA; OH, Olink proteomics profiling in blood samples collected in heparin; N, number of proteins or assays; SE, SOMAscan7K proteomics profiling in blood samples collected in EDTA; SH, SOMAscan7K proteomics profiling in blood samples collected in heparin. EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; ICC, intraclass correlation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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