Simple and sensitive liquid chromatographic method with fluorimetric detection for the analysis of gamma-amino-n-butyric acid in human urine

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatographic method is described for the analysis of γ-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) in human urine. GABA is increased in the urine of cancer patients and could be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of related patients. The method is based on derivatizing GABA with a fluorescent reagent (naproxen acyl chloride) for transforming the non-chromophoric GABA to a derivative with chromophoric and fluorophoric properties. The resulting derivative is highly responsive to a fluorimetric detector (λ_ex = 230 nm, λ_em = 350 nm). The lower quantitation of the method is attainable at 100 nM GABA with a detection limit about 10 nM (S/N = 3 with 20 μL injected). Application of the method to the analysis of GABA in the urine of patients with ovarian and uterine cancer was demonstrated.