title: Rapid and direct determination of creatinine in urine using capillary zone electrophoresis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In clinical medicine creatinine determination is used for the diagnosis of renal diseases and muscular dysfunctions. Also, in forensic toxicology creatinine concentration is used as a standardization tool for the quantitative measurement of therapeutic or illicit drugs and xenobiotics in urine. The present work was aimed at developing a robust and reliable CE determination of creatinine in urine, meeting the needs of simplicity, rapidity and low cost required by routine toxicological screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  The optimized buffer electrolyte was composed of 200 mM phosphate and 200 mM acetic acid (pH 3.8). The separation capillary (50 microm x 10 cm of effective length) was made of naked fused silica. Separations were carried out under 25 kV potential. Urine samples were diluted 20 fold with water and directly injected. Direct UV absorption detection at 200 nm was employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linearity was assessed in the range 0.2-32 mM. Precision tests resulted in CV's % below 0.56% for migration times and below 3.78% for peak area ratios (analyte/I.S.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The described CE creatinine assay meets the strict requirements of forensic analysis and looks particularly useful to test the possible adulteration or dilution of urine samples undergoing toxicological screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Public Health, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liotta
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gottardo
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonizzato
authors.forename: Jennifer Paola
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pascali
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertaso
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tagliaro
mesh_terms: D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014116:Toxicology; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine