title: Improvement of sample throughput using fast gas chromatography mass-spectrometry for biochemical diagnosis of organic acid disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gas chromatograph mass-spectrometric (GC/MS) method of analysis for urinary organic acids is used for the diagnosis of a variety of metabolic disorders. The method is time-consuming and does not allow for improvements in sample throughput. Although the sample preparation and the data processing have been improved, the long GC/MS analysis time still remains to be problematic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The fast-GC/MS method, which utilizes a short microbore capillary GC column and fast temperature programming, was applied to the analysis for urinary organic acids. Urine samples obtained from 15 patients with 9 different disorders and 16 healthy controls were analyzed using conventional GC/MS and fast-GC/MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis cycle time was shortened from 1 h to 15 min. The automated data system uses retention indices determined by conventional-GC/MS for the identification of 134 organic acids. These retention indices can also be used in data obtained by fast-GC/MS. New fast-GC/MS method with the automated data system gave the same diagnostic results as conventional-GC/MS except for 1 healthy control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined system of fast-GC/MS and the automated data system will be powerful tools in clinical laboratories due to increased sample throughput and reduced analysis costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 En-ya-cho, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan. s_kawana@shimadzu.co.jp
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawana
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000652:urine*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids