Chiral liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in the determination of the configuration of 2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine

D-2-Hydroxyglutaric aciduria and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria are two distinct inherited metabolic diseases. The accurate diagnosis of the exact disorder relies on the determination of the configuration of the enantiomers, either D-2-hydroxyglutaric acid or L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid excreted in excess in urine of patients. The enantiomeric chiral separation of 2-hydroxyglutaric acid was achieved using a ristocetin A glycopeptide antibiotic silica gel bonded column. The chiral column was interfaced with a tandem mass spectrometer for the purpose of specifically detecting the eluting 2-hydroxyglutaric acid. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed using an electrospray ion source in the negative ion mode. Three parent-to-daughter transitions under collision-induced dissociation conditions were used to detect only 2-hydroxyglutaric acid. The two forms of the compound were satisfactorily separated with almost baseline resolution at 4.95 and 5.5 min. Three known patients with 2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria were identified to have L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria. The method is simple, selective, rapid, and free from interference.     

Determination of methylmalonic acid in urine by HPLC with intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization

We developed and validated an HPLC method with intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization to determine methylmalonic acid, a unique biochemical marker for methylmalonic aciduria. Methylmalonic acid in urine and an internal standard were derivatized with pyrenebutyric hydrazide and separated on a C8 column. The derivatives were detected by monitoring the fluorescence at 475 nm (excitation wavelength 345 nm). At a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, the detection limit was 0.33 pmol on the column and the calibration curve was linear up to 1 mmol[sol ]L in urine. In a retrospective study on a relatively large number of known methylmalonic aciduria cases (n = 48), the method enabled us to differentiate methylmalonic aciduria cases from healthy controls (n = 52), regardless of age of patients at sampling or years of specimen storage. No interference was observed from isomeric or other dicarboxylic acids, or other urine constituents. As described, the method can be used retrospectively or prospectively for the diagnosis of methylmalonic aciduria and can be easily adopted by laboratories with no access to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.     

Analysis of Methylcitric Acid by Enantioselective Multidimensional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Methylcitric acid (2-hydroxybutane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid–MCA) is a structural analogue of citric acid, but due to an additional methyl group it is a chiral molecule with two stereogenic centers and thus four stereoisomers are conceivable. MCA occurs naturally as prominent metabolite in body fluids of patients with inherited metabolic diseases such as propionic acidemia, methylmalonic aciduria, or holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency. Therefore methylcitric acid is considered to be an important diagnostic marker for these diseases. MCA is most likely produced from accumulated propionyl-CoA in these diseases by the enzyme si-citrate synthase from the citric acid cycle; however, there are other enzymes known which could catalyze the same reaction with different stereoselectivity, such as re-citrate synthase or the more specific enzyme methylcitrate synthase, found in microorganisms. Almost all methods dealing with MCA in the literature are non-enantioselective. For that reason there is no information about occurrence of MCA enantiomers in healthy people, patients with propionic acidemia, methylmalonic aciduria, or holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency and about value of enantiomeric distribution for diagnosis and long-term treatment. The enantioselective analysis of MCA as corresponding trimethyl ester was achieved by enantioselective multidimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry using heptakis-(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin as chiral stationary phase. The described method allows a reliable screening of MCA in complex matrices like urine without time consuming sample preparation and with mass selective detection. During this investigation urine samples from various patients and healthy controls were analyzed. As concluded, MCA is a good diagnostic marker and can be easily measured by the method presented. Only the two stereoisomers (2S,3R) and (2S,3S) were detectable in patients and healthy controls. The varying ratios of these stereoisomers cannot presently be correlated with the health status of patients, although there are some indications that this might be possible. However, the quantitative levels of MCA, determined as the ratio of MCA absolute peak area divided by 1,000 to the creatinine contents of urine samples in this investigation, showed a dependence on the state of health and MCA would thus also be a possible marker for long-term treatment. Such a substance is of major interest nowadays since there are different studies searching for such a long-term marker in propionic acidemia or methylmalonic aciduria.     

Characterisation of the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of methylcitric acid

Methylcitric acid (MCA) was synthesised in Reformatsky reaction (2RS, 3RS stereoisomers) and in the nucleophilic addition (2RS, 3SR stereoisomers). The stereoselectivity of these reactions was analysed. (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of diastereoisomers of methylcitric acid were recorded and interpreted. The values of (1)H chemical shifts and (1)H-(1)H coupling constants were analysed. Proton-decoupled high-resolution (13)C NMR spectra of MCA diastereoisomers were measured in a series of dilute water solutions of various acidities. These data may provide a basis for unequivocal determination of the presence of MCA in the urine samples of patients' suffering from propionic acidemia, methylmalonic aciduria, or holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency. NMR spectroscopy enables determination of MCA diastereoisomers in body fluids and can be a complementary and useful diagnostic tool.     

Separation and quantification of the urinary enantiomers of 2-hydroxyglutaric acid by capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection: Application to the diagnosis of D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria

2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria is an inherited neurometabolic disorder with two major types: D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria. An easy and fast capillary electrophoresis system combined with a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection method was developed for the enantioseparation and determination of D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine. D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acids were separated using vancomycin as the chiral selector. The optimal separation conditions for enantiomers were achieved by the use of a buffer containing 50 mM 4-(N-morpholino) butane sulfonic acid solution (pH 6.5), an electroosmotic flow modifier (0.001% [w/v] polybrene), and 30 mM vancomycin as chiral selector. The analysis time was 6 min under optimal conditions. The optimized and validated method was successfully implemented for quantifying D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria in patients’ urine, without any pretreatment step. The linearity of the method was determined to be in the range of 2–100 mg/L for D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine. The precision (relative standard deviation%) was obtained at about 7%. For D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acids, the limits of detection were 0.567 and 0.497 mg/L, respectively.     

Capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection for the determination of urinary ethylmalonic acid for the diagnosis of ethylmalonic aciduria

Ethylmalonic acid is a metabolic organic acid, and its accumulation in urine is diagnostic of ethylmalonic aciduria. In this study, a simple and fast method employing capillary electrophoresis equipped with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection was developed for the detection of ethylmalonic acid in urine samples. The optimized electrophoretic separation was performed in 50 mmol/L 2‐(N‐morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid solution, buffered at a pH of 6.5, and contained 0.13 mmol/L cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as an electroosmotic modifier. Electrophoresis was run at 28 kV in reversed polarity. The linear range of ethylmalonic acid concentration was between 1 and 100 mg/L with a regression coefficient of 0.9998. This method had good intra‐ and interday precision with <5% relative standard deviations. The detection limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3) and the quantification limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 10) values were 0.139 and 0.466 mg/L, respectively. Using our optimized conditions, the method was successfully employed for the detection of ethylmalonic acid in urine sample of ethylmalonic aciduria patient.     

人体尿液中青霉素G代谢物的确认

建立了利用电场轨道阱回旋共振组合质谱仪(LTQ-Orbitrap)检测人体尿样中青霉素G及其代谢产物的分析方法。目标化合物分离鉴定选用PLRP-S聚合色谱柱,以含0.1%(体积比)甲酸溶液-乙腈为流动相,梯度洗脱分离后,选用Data-dependent MSn模式进行全扫描分析。尿样中首次检出青霉素甲酰化代谢产物(m/z 381)。青霉素新代谢物的发现对食品安全及法医毒物分析具有重要意义。     

Determination of Uric Acid in Human Urine by Ion‐exclusion Chromatography with UV Detection Using Pure Water as Mobile Phase

A simple, rapid and accurate ion‐exclusion chromatographic method coupled with a UV detector for the determination of uric acid in human urine samples has been developed. The separation was carried out on an ion‐exclusion column using only pure water as mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 254 nm and urine sample was injected directly without any pretreatment. Furthermore, the retention behavior of uric acid on the ion‐exclusion column was researched when pure water and 1 mmol·L^?1 HCl were used as mobile phase, respectively. The stability of uric acid was also further investigated within 28 days. In this method, the linear range of the calibration curve for uric acid was 0.25–100 mg·L^?1, and the detection limit calculated at S/N=3 was 0.02 mg·L^?1. The proposed ion‐exclusion chromatographic method has been used for the determination of uric acid in human urine.     

Determination of three metabolites of a new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, imidapril, in plasma and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using multiple ion detection.

A specific and sensitive gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of three metabolites of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, imidapril, in plasma and urine was developed. The metabolites were isolated from plasma and urine using a Bond Elut C18 solid-phase extraction cartridge. The isolated metabolites were converted to sensitive derivatives by pentafluorobenzyl bromide and heptafluoro-n-butyric acid anhydride. Following derivatization, the sample solutions were analysed by wide-bore column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with multiple ion detection. The detection limits of the three metabolites were each 1 ng/ml in plasma and 5 ng/ml in urine. Analysis of the spiked plasma and urine samples demonstrated the good accuracy and precision of the method. This method was very useful for use in pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies of the three metabolites of imidapril in humans.     

Rapid determination of orotic acid in urine by a fast liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric method

Quantification of orotic acid (uracil-6-carboxylic acid) in urine is an important tool to diagnose some inherited diseases, such as urea cycle disorder (OTCD) and hereditary orotic aciduria. New rapid analytical methods are necessary to provide high-throughput orotic acid analyses. A new analytical method has been developed for the rapid analysis of orotic acid in urine by liquid chromatography coupled with ion spray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). After a sample dilution 1:20, the analysis was performed in the selected reaction monitoring mode in which orotic acid was detected through the transition m/z 155 to 111. The retention time was 3.9 min in a 4.5-min analysis. Daily calibration between 0.5-5.0 micromol/L of orotic acid, corresponding to 10-100 micromol/L in urine before the 1:20 dilution, offered consistent linearity and reproducibility. Interassay coefficient of variance (c.v.) was 4.97% at a mean concentration of 10.99 micromol/L. The sensitivity and specificity of tandem mass spectrometry permitted a high volume of analyses of orotic acid. The sample preparation is simple, inexpensive and not time demanding.     

Confirmatory analysis of residues of stanozolol and its major metabolite in bovine urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A reliable method for the confirmation of the synthetic hormone stanozolol and its major metabolite, 16beta-hydroxystanozolol, in bovine urine by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. [2H3]Stanozolol was used as internal standard. Sample preparation involved enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and purification on an amino solid-phase extraction column. The analytes were ionized using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization with a heated nebulizer interface operating in the positive ion mode, where only the protonated molecules, [M+H]+, at m/z 329 and m/z 345, for stanozolol and 16beta-hydroxystanozolol, respectively, were generated. These served as precursor ions for collision-induced dissociation and three diagnostic product ions for each analyte were identified for the unambiguous hormone confirmation by selected reaction monitoring liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The accuracy ranged from 19.7 to 14.9% and from 18.9 to 13.2% for stanozolol and 16beta-hydroxystanozolol, respectively. The precision ranged from 12.4 to 2.4% and from 13.1 to 1.8% for stanozolol and 16beta-hydroxystanozolol, respectively. The limit of quantification of the method was 1 ng/ml in the bovine urine for both stanozolol and 16beta-hydroxystanozolol. The developed method fulfils the European Union requirements for confirmatory methods.     

离子色谱安培法测定尿液中的胱氨酸

建立离子色谱安培法检测尿液中胱氨酸的分析方法。将尿液稀释处理后,过OnGuardⅡRP前处理柱,去除尿液中的有机物,选用低容量阳离子交换柱IonPac CS17进行分离,以甲烷磺酸梯度淋洗,柱后用300 mmol/L NaOH溶液衍生,离子色谱脉冲安培法检测,外标法定量。胱氨酸的质量浓度在0.1~5.0 mg/L范围内与其色谱峰面积呈良好的线性,线性相关系数r^2=0.999 9,检出限为0.05 mg/L。测定结果的相对标准偏差为0.71%(n=6),样品加标回收率为94%~108%。该方法具有操作简单,专属性强,灵敏度高等优点,可用于临床快速检测尿液中的胱氨酸。     

Method for confirmation of synthetic corticosteroids in doping urine samples by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

In this study, we report on the development of a method to confirm simultaneously nine of the most commonly abused synthetic corticosteroids in urine based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. A considerable simplified sample preparation procedure, including liquid-liquid phase extraction with Extrelut-NT3 columns, provided both excellent sample purification and high overall recoveries. Complete HPLC separations were obtained on a reversed-phase column with 1 mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (60:40, v/v) as mobile phase. Mass spectral acquisition was done in the negative ion, and selected ion monitoring modes to identify the drugs with at least three characteristic ions. Detection limits were determined at < or =1 ng/ml and the confirmation limits at 1 to 5 ng/ml.     

Analyses of quaternary ammonium drugs in horse urine by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

A capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) method for the analysis of quaternary ammonium drugs in equine urine was developed. Quaternary ammonium drugs were first extracted from equine urine by ion-pair extraction and then analysed by CE-MS in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode. Within 12 min, eight quaternary ammonium drugs, each at 1 ng/mL in horse urine, could be detected. The confirmation of these drugs in urine samples was achieved by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS). A direct comparison of this method was made with existing liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods in the detection and confirmation of glycopyrrolate and ipratropium bromide in horse urine. While the two drugs could be detected within the same CE-MS run at 1 ng/mL in urine, they could only be detected in separate LC-MS runs at 5 ng/mL in urine. In addition, CE-MS consumed a much smaller volume of extract; the analyte peak widths, in some cases, were much narrower; and as the quaternary ammonium ions were well separated electrophoretically from the mainly neutral urine matrix, a much cleaner background in the CE-MS total ion trace was observed.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the stereoisomeric metabolites of ibuprofen

A stereospecific reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed to simultaneously quantitate the stereoisomers of the two major metabolites of ibuprofen: hydroxyibuprofen and carboxyibuprofen. The metabolites were derivatized with S-(alpha)-methylbenzylamine to form diastereomeric amides which were separated and quantified on a C8 column. The validity of the stereoselective assay was confirmed by comparison with a non-stereoselective HPLC method. The stereoselective assay was applied to the quantification of all the stereoisomeric ibuprofen metabolites in urine from human volunteers dosed with racemic ibuprofen or the individual enantiomers of ibuprofen. Significant substrate and product stereo-selectivities were observed in the formation of carboxyibuprofen.     

Determination of short chain aliphatic acids in silage effluents by ion exclusion chromatography

Summary Short chain aliphatic acids are important components of the dissolved organic matter in silage effluents. Although ion exclusion chromatography offers some advantages for the analysis of these compounds, no attempt has yet been made to prove the suitability of this method for silage effluent analysis. In order to gain experience in this field, the separation characteristics of a Dionex ion exclusion column (IonPac-ICE As5) have been evaluated, the separation conditions have been improved, and several sample clean-up methods have been checked.Ten effluents generated during silaging of five different crops were collected from Bavarian farms and analyzed. Lactic and acetic acids were the predominant aliphatic acids. Pyruvic, formic, propionic, and succinic acid were detected in all samples, whereas glyceric and iso-citric acid were found in a few samples only.If some restrictions of substance specificity and separation efficiency can be accepted, the analytical method presented will be a reliable tool for the analysis of carboxylic acids in silage effluents.     

Enzymatic approach to enantiomerically pure 5-alken-2,4-diols and 4-hydroxy-5-alken-2-ones: application to the synthesis of chiral synthons

Enantiomerically pure 1,3-diols 1-3 were obtained by a chemoenzymatic approach (lipase PS from Burkholderia cepacia). These diols were converted into useful chiral synthons, which could be considered homologues of glyceraldehyde and glyceric acid acetonides. Applications of these synthons to the de novo synthesis of sugars and preparation of conagenin carboxylic moiety were shown. Hydroxy ketone 4 was chosen as a model system for another synthetic evolution: it was obtained in enantiomerically pure form by enzymatic resolution and converted into chiral tetrahydropyranes, such as the stereoisomers of the commercial fragrance Gyrane.     

Stable isotope dilution analysis of N-acetylaspartic acid in urine by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) is a specific urinary marker for Canavan disease, an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy. We developed a 'dilute and shoot' stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of NAA in urine. Deuterated internal standard d(3)-NAA was added to untreated urine and the mixture was injected into the LC-MS/MS system operated in the negative ion mode. Chromatography was carried out on a C(8) minibore column using 50% acetonitrile solution containing 0.05% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The retention time was 1.6 min and the turnaround time was 2.2 min. NAA and d(3)-NAA were analyzed in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Calibrators and quality control samples were prepared in pooled control urine. The assay was linear up to 2000 micromol/L with limit of quantification at 1 micromol/L (S/N = 12). Interassay and intraassay coefficients of variation were less than 7% and recovery at three different concentrations was 98.9-102.5%. The LC-MS/MS method for NAA as described involves no extraction and no derivatization, showed no interference and gave excellent recovery with low variability and short analytical time. The method was successfully applied for the retrospective analysis of urine from 21 Canavan disease cases.     

Development of a method for the identification of azaspiracid in shellfish by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Azaspiracid is the main toxin responsible for a number of recent human intoxications in Europe resulting from shellfish consumption. The first micro liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (micro-LC-MS-MS) method was developed for the determination of this novel shellfish poisoning toxin in mussels. The analyte was extracted from whole mussel meat with acetone and chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column (1.0 mm I.D.) by isocratic elution at 30 microl/min with acetonitrile-water (85:15, v/v), containing 0.03% trifluoroacetic acid. The toxin was ionised in an ionspray interface operating in the positive ion mode, where only the intact protonated molecule, [M+H]+, was generated at m/z 842. This served as precursor ion for collision-induced dissociation and three product ions, [M+H-nH2O]- with n=1-3, were identified for the unambiguous toxin confirmation by selected reaction monitoring LC-MS-MS analysis. A detection limit of 20 pg, based on a 3:1 signal-to-noise ratio, was achieved for the analyte. This LC-MS-MS method was successfully applied to determine azaspiracid in toxic cultivated shellfish from two regions of Ireland.