Ion-chromatographic determination of L-tartrate in urine samples

We propose using ion chromatography to determine tartrate concentration in urine. A 100-microL sample of urine is diluted and injected into the chromatograph. Tartrate is eluted within 11.5 min as a distinct and well-resolved peak. The sensitivity of the standard procedure (signal-to-noise ratio, 3/1) is 30 mumol/L. The intra-run and interrun coefficients of variation are 2.5% and 4.1%, respectively. Mean analytical recovery of known amounts of added tartrate ranges between 94.2% and 104.0%. We investigated the specificity of the procedure by analyzing urine containing added dicarboxylic acids structurally related to tartrate. The reliability of the procedure makes it suitable for investigating tartrate metabolism, e.g., the potential role of tartrate as an inhibitor of crystallization in calcium nephrolithiasis.