title: Quantification of melatonin in human saliva by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using stable isotope dilution.
abstract: A method for the determination of melatonin in human saliva has been developed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS-MS). Saliva was collected in plastic tubes. 7-D-Melatonin was added as internal standard and the samples were cleaned and concentrated by solid-phase extraction. The limit of detection was 1.05 pg x ml(-1) and the limit of quantification was 3.0 pg x ml(-1). The accuracy of the method was +/-14% at 5.60 pg x ml(-1) and +/-9% at 19.6 pg x ml(-1). The precision was +/-13% at 6.18 pg x ml(-1) and +/-11% at 31.2 pg x ml(-1), respectively. Our HPLC-MS-MS method shows a high sensitivity and specificity for melatonin and more reliable results compared with a radioimmunoassay. The chromatographic method has been used to determine the circadian rhythm of melatonin among three nurses working the night shift and a patient suffering from an inability to fall asleep at night.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of Northern Sweden, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden. kare.eriksson@niwl.se
authors.forename: Kåre
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ostin
authors.forename: Jan-Olof
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin