Determination of urinary 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid by an automated HPLC method

A HPLC method for the quantitative determination of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in urine is described. The method is based on ion-pair chromatography, reversed phase (RP) column material and specific fluorimetric detection at 300 nm and 355 nm. Sample preparation and gradient elution were avoided by using a column-switching technique. The sensitivity of the assay was excellent for clinical routine analysis, with a detection limit of 0.2 mg/L 5-HIAA. No endogenous or exogenous interference problems arose. Intra- and interassay precision was good, with observed coefficients of variation of 1.5 to 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively. Recoveries were 93 to 98%. The system described can be used for clinical diagnosis and therapy follow-up of carcinoid tumors. It has been running for over a year without disturbances and with a minimum of technical attendance.