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Urinary catecholamines: comparison between HPLC with electrochemical detection and fluorophotometric assay
U Lundberg1, L Holmberg, M Frankenhaeuser
1Department of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|October 1, 1988
Summary
Fluorometric assays and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) show high correlations for measuring urinary catecholamines in humans. Both methods are valid for assessing stress-induced changes, with fluorometry offering a simpler alternative.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Catecholamines are crucial biomarkers for physiological stress.
- Accurate measurement of catecholamines is essential for clinical and research applications.
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and fluorometry are common analytical techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the validity and sensitivity of HPLC and fluorometry for determining urinary catecholamines.
- To assess the suitability of these methods for measuring stress-induced changes in catecholamine excretion.
Main Methods:
- Urine samples from healthy adults and children were analyzed.
- Catecholamine levels were determined using HPLC with electrochemical detection.
- Catecholamine levels were also determined using fluorometric assays.
Main Results:
- High correlations were observed between catecholamine measurements obtained by HPLC and fluorometry.
- HPLC demonstrated greater specificity.
- Mean values for catecholamines were higher when determined by the fluorometric assay.
Conclusions:
- Fluorometric assays are as valid and sensitive as HPLC for assessing stress-induced changes in human catecholamine excretion.
- Fluorometry provides a reliable and accessible method for monitoring catecholamine levels.