Methods to investigate advanced glycation end-product and their application in clinical practice

•Emerging evidence has documented the involvement of AGEs in several diseases.•There are not standardized methods to measure AGEs for clinical purposes.•SAF has produced encouraging results for non-invasive measurement of AGEs.•Mass spectroscopy seems to offer excellent sensitivity andgood analytical performance. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are heterogeneous compounds of irreversible adducts principally derived from nonenzymatic glycation and glycoxidation of proteins. An increase in AGEs may be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, chronic degenerative diseases, neurological diseases and cancer, and it has been suggested as a biomarker of oxidative stress. AGEs have been evaluated in different biological fluids, as well as in tissues. The most utilized techniques for AGE measurement can be divided into immunochemical methods, such as ELISA, and bioanalytical methods, including fluorescence spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. However, the lack of reference values, well-established standard molecules, and standardized methods to measure these compounds, could limit the application of AGE evaluation for clinical purpose. Aim of this review is to provide an overview on the state of the art of the most employed techniques for detection and measurement of AGEs and their application in clinical practice.