title: A robust liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for total plasma homocysteine determination in clinical practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total plasma homocysteine has emerged as an independent risk factor for vascular disease. To meet increasing requests by clinicians for this homocysteine determination, a rapid assay for a routine use has been developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A robust, stable, isotope-dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method is described, including all the practical details and analytical performance results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method allows homocysteine quantitation over a linear working range up to 100 micromol/L, with the limit of quantification estimated at a low value of 0.09 micromol/L. Total analytical imprecision is less than 4%. Accuracy was assessed by measuring the homocysteine concentration in a serum Standard Reference Material.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method was demonstrated to be quick, reliable and cheap after 1 year of use on a time-shared instrument in our hospital unit.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Intégrée, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Grenoble, France. vducros@chu-grenoble.fr
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ducros
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belva-Besnet
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casetta
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favier
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D012015:Reference Standards; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine