The Blood Resource

Blood methods

In the new open access blood resource, we focus on the individual protein levels in blood of both healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with various diseases.

Here you can explore: 

• the individual protein levels in blood from healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with diseases
• the longitudinal blood protein levels in healthy individuals during two years
• the longitudinal blood protein levels in children through puberty
• the effect of age, BMI and sex on the individual protein levels in blood
• the levels of plasma proteins using immune assays and mass spectrometry

To explore the results for a particular protein, find the relevant gene using the HPA search function and click on the tab “blood”.

Disease

The Human Disease Blood Atlas contains information on blood protein levels across a wide range of diseases. The current version includes data generated using antibody-based assays, an aptamer-based platform, and targeted mass-spectrometry.

• Antibody-based measurements were performed using the Proximity Extension Assay (PEA), with data from Olink Explore 1536 and Olink Explore HT, covering 1165 and 5279 proteins, respectively.
• Aptamer-based profiling was carried out with the SomaScan 11K platform, measuring 9532 proteins.
• Targeted mass spectrometry quantified 146 proteins using isotope dilution with recombinant protein fragment standards - the gold standard for absolute protein quantification.

These technologies have been applied to plasma samples from healthy individuals and patients with multiple disease types. Specifically:

• A pan-disease cohort was profiled using Olink Explore 1536, including samples from individuals across 59 diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, cancer, psychiatric, autoimmune, infectious, and pediatric conditions, as well as healthy adults.
• An additional pan-disease cohort was analyzed using Olink Explore HT and SomaScan 11K, covering cardiovascular, metabolic, cancer, psychiatric, neurological, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, as well as samples from healthy children (8 years), healthy adults, individuals from a longevity cohort (aged 80-93), and pregnant women.
• Targeted mass spectrometry was applied to 12 cancer types and a longitudinal pregnancy cohort.

Detailed information on dataset content, generation, and analysis can be found in the Methods Summary.

In the pan-disease summary below, we highlight the study of 59 diseases profiled using PEA. Explore:

• Comprehensive and precise blood protein levels across 59 diseases
• Proteins associated with each of the analyzed diseases

Blood plasma proteome

The proteins in blood, specifically the plasma proteome exibit an extraordinarily dynamic range. This range spans over 10 orders of magnitude between the concentration of the most abundant protein albumin (ALB), which acts as a transporter and helps maintain colloid osmotic pressure, and the rarest proteins detectable today, which include interleukins and tissue leakage proteins. Notably, over 90% of the plasma proteome is comprised of the ten most abundant proteins. Along with albumin, these include fibrinogen, involved in blood clotting, and immunoglobulins, mainly involved in immune processes.

Here we present estimated plasma concentrations of the proteins detected in human blood from mass spectrometry-based proteomics studies, published immune assay data, and a longitudinal study based on proximity extension assay (PEA). More information about the specific content, and the generation and analysis of the data in this section can be found in the Methods Summary.

Learn about:

• the plasma levels of blood proteins in a longitudinal study of healthy individuals
• the levels of plasma proteins using immune assays and mass spectrometry-based proteomics

About plasma

Plasma is the clear, liquid fraction of the blood which remains when the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are removed. It is composed of water (90%), proteins (7-8%), and smaller substances such as salts, gases, and nutrients. Plasma performs several vital functions, including transportation of essential compounds needed in different parts of the body, balancing the fluid exchange of all tissues by regulating the osmotic pressure, and as a key player in the immune system. Most cells in the body communicate with plasma directly or indirectly through other fluids. Analysis of the proteins present in plasma can therefore provide important information about a patient's health.