Separation and determination of homovanillic acid and vanillylmandelic acid by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A method of separation and determination of homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) was developed based on capillary zone electrophoresis/amperometric detection with high sensitivity, good resolution and selectivity. In order to achieve complete separation and good response, several factors including pH, buffer concentration, separation voltage, detection potential and the length of separation capillary, were studied in detail. The method has been used to determine both HVA and VMA in human urine. Uric acid (UA) in human urine did not interference with their determination. The limit of detection of the method was 1.3×10⁻⁶ mol/l (1.4 fmol) for HVA and 7.9×10⁻⁷ mol/l (0.87 fmol) for VMA at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.     

Simple and fast chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid in human urine.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid is described. The method is fast despite the great polarity differences between the two acids. Moreover the sample pretreatment is quick and it does not need complex or expensive equipment. The only requirement is the disposition of two pumps (or at least two eluent reservoirs) operated alternatively by means of a switching valve placed before the injection device. This makes the method available for most routine laboratories.     

Direct concurrent measurement of urinary vanillylmandelic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid by HPLC. Three methodologies compared

Three different direct HPLC methods for the determination of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid (VMA, vanillylmandelic acid), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HVA, homovanillic acid) in urine were compared: two spectrofluorometric methods, applying discontinuous gradients, and one serial coulometric linear gradient method. The imprecision study (n = 6) revealed comparable coefficients of variation (CV), intra-assay ranging 1.4-11.1%, and inter-assay ranging 5.9-11.8% for physiological and moderately elevated levels of VMA, 5-HIAA and HVA. All methods showed good linearities up to 100 mumol/L for each of the three compounds studied. Analytical recoveries were 97-114% for VMA, 87-103% for 5-HIAA, and 80-95% for HVA. Recoveries were not dependent on urinary relative densities in the range 1.010-1.030 kg/L or on protein content (prior to acidification) in the range 0.1-3 g/L, or on the pH of conservation in the range 2-5 or on storage temperature in the range -20 - +22 degrees C for three weeks. The distributed-sample comparison revealed acceptable correlations and clinically unimportant accuracy differences between the methods. It is concluded that direct fluorometric and electrochemical HPLC methods can be used in the determination of major catecholamine and serotonin metabolites in human urine for clinical diagnosis and follow-up of neural crest and carcinoid tumours.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay of free norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid

A procedure is described for the concurrent assay of free norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid in physiological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The column packing is an octadecyl-bonded silica. A single mobile phase containing 1-octanesulphonate is used for the assay of catecholamines and for the assay of the acidic metabolites. An efficient sample preparation scheme is presented for the isolation of the catecholamines and their acidic metabolites from the same sample aliquot. Catecholamines are extracted by ion exchange on small columns and adsorption on alumina, using dihydroxybenzylamine as an internal standard. Vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid are recovered from the combined loading and washing effluents of the ion-exchange column by a solvent extraction procedure. Recovery of catecholamines averages 67%. The limit of detection for individual catecholamines is ca. 30 pg. Recoveries of vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid average 77% and 87%, respectively. The use of the same mobile phase for the concurrent assay of catecholamines and their acidic metabolites considerably increases the throughput of samples in the chromatographic system by eliminating the time-consuming column-equilibration periods.     

Simultaneous liquid chromatographic determination of vanillylmandelic acid, homovanillic acid, and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in urine, using isocratic elution and electrochemical detection

A method for the simultaneous measurement of vanillylmandelic acid, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in urine is described. Based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, the procedure employs isocratic elution, thus making it suitable for use in the less well-equipped clinical or research laboratory. A simple extraction of the acids from acidified urine into ethyl acetate, is followed by evaporating to dryness a portion of the organic layer, and redissolving the residue in chromatographic mobile phase. Up to 20 samples can be analysed in a single working day. The method is validated and the results obtained are compared with reference methods. The cause of contamination of the glassy carbon surface of the working electrode is investigated, and a simple electrochemical pretreatment is described that overcomes this problem. Finally, the extra clinical information that can be derived from multi-metabolite assays is considered.     

Analytical validation and clinical application of urinary vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid by LC–MS/MS for diagnosis of neuroblastoma

Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) are clinical biomarkers for diagnosis of neuroblastoma (NB), which commonly occurs in the childhood. Development and application of a robust LC–MS/MS method for fast determination of these biomarkers for optimal laboratory testing of NB is essential in clinical laboratories. In present study, we developed and validated a simple liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for quick clinical testing of VMA and HVA for diagnosis of NB. The method was validated according to the current CLSI C62‐A and FDA guidelines. The age‐adjusted pediatric reference intervals and diagnostic performance were evaluated in both 24 h urine and random urine. Injection‐to‐injection time was 3.5 min. Inter‐ and intra‐assay coefficients of variation (CVs) were ≤3.88%. The lower limit of quantification and the limit of detection were 0.50 and 0.25 μmol/L for both VMA and HVA. Recoveries of VMA and HVA were in the ranges of 85–109% and 86–100% with CVs ≤5.76%. This method was free from significant matrix effect, carryover and interference. The establishment of age‐adjusted pediatric reference intervals by this LC–MS/MS method was favorable for the improvement in diagnostic performance, which was crucial for correct interpretation of test results from children in both 24 h and random urine.     

Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the concurrent determination of the amine metabolites vanillylmandelic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid in urine using electrochemical detection

A simple method for the concurrent analysis of the noradrenaline metabolites vanillylmandelic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, the dopamine metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, and the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in human urine is described. Following organic extraction of the metabolites from acidified urine, they are separated by single-step gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatography on a reversed-phase column. Detection and quantification are achieved with an electrochemical detector using a carbon-paste electrode; samples can be injected at 40-min intervals. Optimisation of analytical parameters is described, and examples of the application of the method in the fields of clinical chemistry and clinical neuroscience are given. This provides a convenient method for the concurrent study of the metabolism of three major biogenic amines, and is readily adaptable for studies on cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue.     

Portable microfluidic system for determination of urinary creatinine

A simple, low cost and portable microfluidic system based on a two-point alkaline picrate kinetic reaction has been developed for the determination of urinary creatinine. The creatinine reacts with picric acid under alkaline conditions, forming an orange-red colour, which is monitored on PDMS microchip using a portable miniature fibre optic spectrometer at 510 nm. A linear range was displayed from 0 to 40 mg L⁻¹ creatinine (r² = 0.997) with a detection limit of 3.3 mg L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). On-chip absorbance signals are reproducible, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 7.1%, when evaluated with 20 mg L⁻¹ creatinine (n = 10). The standard curves in which the intra-run CVs (4.7-6.8%) and inter-run CVs (7.9%) obtained were performed on three different days and exhibited good reproducibility. The method was highly correlated with the conventional spectrophotometric method when real urine samples were evaluated (r² = 0.948; n = 15).     

Direct measurement of homovanillic, vanillylmandelic and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acids in urine by capillary electrophoresis

Separation conditions in CE, with a neutral coated capillary and reversed polarity, have been optimised to make direct measurement of vanillylmandelic acid, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid possible in urine samples without pre-treatment. The method developed has been validated, presenting adequate parameters for linearity, accuracy and precision. Detection limits range from 0.03 to 2.5 microM. Finally the method has been applied to urine samples taken from patients, both adults and children, in hospital. Some of them were also measured by immunoassay and HPLC-electrochemical detection and results have been compared.     

Automatic determination of urinary 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic (vanillylmandelic) acid by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

An automated liquid chromatographic method for the determination of urinary concentrations of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid (VMA) is described. Urine samples are purified by solid-phase extraction on an anion-exchange cartridge and automated on-line chromatographic elution is carried out using a Varian AASP (advanced automated sample processor) system. The column effluent is monitored with an electrochemical detector using a glassy carbon working electrode. The method allows the determination of VMA in 0.05 ml of normal urine with a relative standard deviation of less than 3%. The analysis time can be shortened by use of back-flushing technique, and the correlation with a classical (but non-automated) VMA analysis method is excellent.     

Direct determination of vanillylmandelic acid in human urine by reversed-phase HPLC

A reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) has been developed. The concentration of VMA in the urine of hypertensive patients was measured by direct injection after centrifugation. The method is useful for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.     

Determination of urinary vanillylmandelic acid by direct injection and coupled-column chromatography with electrochemical detection

An automated column-switching system for determination of vanillylmandelic acid in urine is described. The liquid chromatographic system was composed of two separation columns with different selectivity properties, an octadecyl column coated with tributyl phosphate as stationary liquid phase and a silica-based anion exchanger. Urine samples were injected directly onto the first column, where vanillylmandelic acid was separated from the main part of the sample matrix. The internal standard isovanillylmandelic acid was co-eluting with vanillylmandelic acid, and a fraction of the eluate containing both substances was switched to the second column, where separation was performed. To assess peak purity, detection was performed with dual working electrodes in parallel mode. A relative standard deviation of 3.5% was obtained for determination of human urine samples containing 3 microM vanillylmandelic acid, and less than 0.1 microM could be detected.     

An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid

An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid is proposed. A solution of 0.1 mol L(-1) sodium chloride is used as carrier. Titration is achieved by aspirating acetic acid samples between two strong base-zone volumes into a holding coil and by channelling the stack of well-defined zones with flow reversal through a reaction coil to a potentiometric sensor where the peak widths were measured. A linear relationship between peak width and logarithm of the acid concentration was obtained in the range 1-9 g/100 mL. Vinegar samples were analysed without any sample pre-treatment. The method has a relative standard deviation of 0.4% with a sample frequency of 28 samples per hour. The results revealed good agreement between the proposed sequential injection and an automated batch titration method.