title: Urinary endogenous concentrations of GHB and its isomers in healthy humans and diabetics.
abstract: Urinary endogenous concentrations of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), alpha-hydroxybutyric acid (AHB) and beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) have been investigated for both healthy humans and diabetics by using a newly optimized GC-MS procedure. The endogenous concentrations in healthy volunteers' urine ranged 0.16-2.14 microg/ml for GHB, 0.10-2.68 microg/ml for AHB and 8.51-34.7 microg/ml for BHB. In diabetics, the concentrations ranged 0.17-3.03 microg/ml for GHB, 0.14-124 microg/ml for AHB and 4.94-4520 microg/ml for BHB. Although notably elevated BHB and AHB concentrations were observed for severely uncontrolled diabetics, their GHB concentrations ranged within or near the range seen in healthy humans. The results of this study confirm the previously suggested 10 microg/ml cutoff concentration of urinary GHB to distinguish exogenous GHB, even for uncontrolled diabetic patients suffering severe ketoacidosis.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Science Laboratory, Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, 1-3-18 Hommachi, Chuo-ward, Osaka 541-0053, Japan. nori6499@amber.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.forename: Munehiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katagi
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuchihashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine*; D007536:Isomerism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012016:Reference Values; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D006885:Hydroxybutyrates