title: Quantitative determination of the hydrolysis products of nitrogen mustards in human urine by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Nitrogen mustards are a public health concern because of their extreme vesicant properties and the possible exposure of workers during the destruction of chemical stockpiles. A sensitive, rapid, accurate, and precise analysis for the quantitation of ultratrace levels of N-ethyldiethanolamine (EDEA) and N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) in human urine as a means of assessing recent exposure to the nitrogen mustards bis(2-chloroethyl)ethylamine and bis(2-chloroethyl)methylamine, respectively, was developed. The method was based on solid-phase extraction, followed by analysis of the urine extract using isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with TurbolonSpray ionization and multiple-reaction monitoring. The method limits of detection were 0.41 ng/mL for EDEA and 0.96 ng/mL for MDEA in 1 mL of urine with coefficients of variation < 10% for both compounds.
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA. SGL4@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Sharon W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lemire
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
mesh_terms: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; D008466:Mechlorethamine; C121482:bis(2-chloroethyl)ethylamine