title: Determination of cyanide exposure by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of cyanide-exposed plasma proteins.
abstract: Exposure to cyanide can occur in a variety of ways, including exposure to smoke from cigarettes or fires, accidental exposure during industrial processes, and exposure from the use of cyanide as a poison or chemical warfare agent. Confirmation of cyanide exposure is difficult because, in vivo, cyanide quickly breaks down by a number of pathways, including the formation of both free and protein-bound thiocyanate. A simple method was developed to confirm cyanide exposure by extraction of protein-bound thiocyanate moieties from cyanide-exposed plasma proteins. Thiocyanate was successfully extracted and subsequently derivatized with pentafluorobenzyl bromide for GC-MS analysis. Thiocyanate levels as low as 2.5 ng mL(-1) and cyanide exposure levels as low as 175 μg kg(-1) were detected. Samples analyzed from smokers and non-smokers using this method showed significantly different levels of protein-bound thiocyanate (p<0.01). These results demonstrate the potential of this method to positively confirm chronic cyanide exposure through the analysis of protein-bound cyanide in human plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Shepard Hall 121, Box 2202, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Youso
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rockwood
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Logue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003486:Cyanides / Q000737:chemistry*; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking; D013552:Swine; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000032:analysis*; D005466:Fluorocarbons
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D003486:Cyanides; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D013861:Thiocyanates; C025063:pentafluorobenzyl bromide; D005466:Fluorocarbons; C031760:thiocyanate