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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Profiling of Methyltransferases and Other S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine-binding Proteins by Capture Compound Mass Spectrometry (CCMS)
Published on: December 20, 2010
[Evaluation of plasmatic homocysteine determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]
M N Belkhiria1, V Ducros, K Harzallah
1Laboratoire de pharmacologie, Faculté de médecine de Monastir, Tunisie. belkhiria@fmm.rnu.tn
Insights
Total plasma homocysteine is a cardiovascular disease risk factor. A new gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) method was validated against LC-MS-MS, showing good analytical performance for this important biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Metabolomics
Context:
- Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) is an established independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
- tHcy testing is crucial for diagnosing unexplained or recurrent thrombosis.
- Methionine metabolism involves tHcy as a key intermediate in transsulfuration and remethylation pathways.
Purpose:
- To transpose and validate a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) method for total plasma homocysteine measurement.
- To compare the newly transposed GC-MS method with the established liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method.
- To assess the analytical performance and clinical applicability of the GC-MS method.
Summary:
- A GC-MS method for total plasma homocysteine was successfully transposed and validated against LC-MS-MS.
- The GC-MS method demonstrated excellent analytical performance, with a low detection limit (0.4 micromol/L) and high precision (CV < 5%).
- Good correlation (r² = 0.84) was observed between the GC-MS and LC-MS-MS methods, with a mean difference of -0.4 micromol/L.
Impact:
- The validated GC-MS method provides a reliable and efficient tool for assessing tHcy concentrations.
- This facilitates the evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk in patients.
- The method is now routinely used for tHcy level determination in at-risk populations.
Abstract:
Total plasma homocysteine emerged in the past few years as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This test is now currently prescribed for the diagnosis of unexplained thrombosis in young adults or recurrent thrombosis in patients with arteriopathy. This sulphured amino-acid is an important intermediate in transsulfuration and remethylation pathways of methionine metabolism. Within the context of a collaboration between Monastir and Grenoble Universities and because a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) instrument was available in Monastir, we proposed to transpose a GC-MS method previously developed in Grenoble's hospital for this parameter and to validate it by comparison with the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method, used at present. Analytical performances were good: detection limit 0.4 micromol/L and linear range up to 4 mg/L (29.6 micromol/L), and between-run and within-run precision with coefficients of variation < 5% and < 8 %, respectively. The comparison with LC-MS-MS method showed a good correlation (y = 0.9874 x -0.208; r(2) = 0.84). Mean difference from LC-MS-MS was -0.4 micromol/L. Plasma concentrations of homocysteine (mean + SD) determined among Tunisian adults, 29 men, 27 women, of the same age were respectively: 11.6 +/- 2.4 micromol/L and 10.1 +/- 2.7 micromol/L, p = 0.025. This method is now currently used to evaluate tHcy concentration in patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
