Determination of marker pteridins and biopterin reduced forms, tetrahydrobiopterin and dihydrobiopterin, in human urine, using a post-column photoinduced fluorescence liquid chromatographic derivatization method

A liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous analysis of marker pteridins and biopterin reduced forms, in urine samples is proposed. A Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column was used for the chromatographic separation, using a 98/2 (v/v), citrate buffer (pH 5.5)-acetonitrile mobile phase, in isocratic mode. A post-column photoderivatization was carried out with an on-line photoreactor, located between a diode array detector (DAD) and a fast scanning fluorescence detector (FSFD). Neopterin (NEO), biopterin (BIO), pterin (PT) and dihydrobiopterin (BH2) were determined by measuring native fluorescence, using the photoreactor in OFF-mode, and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) was determined by measuring of the induced fluorescence of the generated photoproducts, using the photoreactor in ON-mode. In addition, Creatinine (CREA), as a reference of metabolites excrection in urine, was simultaneously determined using the DAD detector. Detection limits were 0.2, 13.0, 0.3, 0.3 and 3.5 ng mL⁻¹, for NEO, BH2, BIO, PT and BH4, respectively, and 0.4 μg mL⁻¹ for CREA. Ratio values for NEO/CREA, PT/CREA, BH4/CREA, BH2/CREA, NEO/BIO and BIO_total/CREA, in urine samples, of healthy children and adults, phenylketonuric children and infected mononucleosis children, are reported. A comparative study, about the mean values obtained for each of the compounds, by the present procedure and by the classical iodine oxidation method (Fukushimás method), has been performed, in urine samples belonging to healthy volunteers. The values obtained were BH4/CREA: 0.41, BH2/CREA: 0.31 and BIO_total/CREA: 0.73, by the proposed method, and BH4/CREA: 0.35, BH2/CREA: 0.20 and BIO_total/CREA: 0.48, by iodine oxidation method.     

A new HPLC method for serum neopterin measurement and relationships with plasma thiols levels in healthy subjects

Neopterin, a pyrazinopyrimidine compound, serves as a marker of cellular immune system activation, and it can be used as a prognostic predictor for certain types of diseases. We propose a new simple HPLC method to measure serum neopterin with highly sensitive fluorimetric detection. After TCA serum protein precipitation, the supernatant was diluted five times, injected into a C18 reversed-phase column and eluted at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min by an isocratic water-acetonitrile (99:1) mobile phase. The natural fluorescence of the molecule was detected at excitation wavelength 353 nm and emission 438 nm. In these conditions the neopterin retention time was about 4 min. Our proposed method was compared with a validated chromatographic separation, and the obtained data of the serum neopterin from 35 healthy volunteers were analysed by Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman test. Neopterin measurement in healthy subjects was also employed to investigate on its potential relationships with plasma thiols levels.     

High‐throughput polymer tip‐electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for enhanced detection of neopterin and biopterin in clinical urine samples

Urinary biopterin (Bio) and neopterin (Neo) are important markers for clinical diagnosis of hyperphenylalaninemia. Herein, we developed a high‐throughput analysis method based on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) with polymer tips for the rapid quantitative detection of Bio and Neo in clinical urine samples. Different polymer tips were investigated. It is found that the best detection sensitivity was achieved with hydrophobic polymer tip, ie, polyethylene tips. The high‐throughput polymer tip‐ESI‐MS method allowed a rapid analysis speed at ~40 seconds per sample. The limits of quantification (LOQ) (S/N ≥ 10) for the detection of Bio and Neo were improved to be 5.0 ng/mL. Acceptable relative standard deviation (RSD) values for Neo and Bio were measured to be 12.2% and 13.4% for direct measurement of Bio and Neo in raw urine samples, respectively. Furthermore, Bio and Neo were directly quantified from 18 clinical urine samples by presented method. The ratios of urinary Bio‐to‐Neo were analyzed for diagnosis of hyperphenylalaninemia. The results demonstrated that the present polymer tip‐ESI‐MS method is a promising strategy for the rapid analysis of clinical samples.     

高效液相色谱法同时测定尿中新喋呤和生物喋呤

建立了同时分离检测尿中新喋呤（neopterin,NP）和生物喋呤(biopterin,BP)的高效液相色谱（HPLC）-荧光检测方法。采用Hypersil BDS C18柱、甲醇-水(体积比为10∶90)流动相(流速0.5 mL/min)、激发波长360 nm、发射波长 440 nm、柱温20 ℃的色谱条件,同时分离测定了尿中的NP和BP。尿标本经三氯乙酸处理,在4 ℃下,以12000 r/min的速率离心15 min,上清液用碱中和后,取30　μL直接进样。研究结果表明,NP的线性范围为0.12～10