title: Assay of neopterin in serum by means of two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography with automated column switching using three retention mechanisms.
abstract: An automated two-dimensional HPLC method for the determination of neopterin in serum is described. Neopterin is separated from proteins on a short octadecylsilica column by size exclusion and from the majority of the other serum components by adsorption. The fraction containing neopterin is transferred by column switching to a solvent-generated cation-exchange column using dodecylsulfonic acid as surface activator. Parameters influencing the separation performance and sensitivity of the fluorescence detection are discussed. The efficiency of the cleaning of the first column was optimized. The method was validated. It achieves a precision of 1% (R.S.D.) and a detection limit of about 0.3 nmol/l. The accuracy is nearly 100%. The method allows a high sample throughput, requiring 15 min per sample.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lamprecht
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019798:Neopterin; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D012997:Solvents; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D001708:Biopterins; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D019798:Neopterin