Thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of ether phosphocholines

A preliminary investigation into the practicability of using thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for the analysis of the ether phosphocholine, platelet activating factor, is described. Using a deuterated internal standard, calibration curves for both the hexadecyl and the octadecyl forms of this substance have been obtained and, from these, the amounts and nature of platelet activating factor in human psoriatic skin have been determined.