[Determination of plasma catecholamines in clinical biology]

The use of sensitive detectors has enabled the development of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the dosage of plasma catecholamines (adrenalin, A; noradrenalin, NA and dopamine, DA). Separation of the catecholamines may be done with a pair of ions chromatography on grafted silica or with an exchange of ions chromatography. The quantification is carried out, either by electro-chemical detection (HPLC-ECD), or by fluorometry after catecholamines shunting into trihydroxyindoles compounds (THI). The THI method, more sensitive, does not permit the detection of DA. Plasma levels of A or NA of 30 pg/ml (or 150 fmol/ml) may be measured by HPLC-ECD). The validation of this method as compared with a radioenzymatic method (RA-COMT) permits to imagine that the HPLC-ECD method, which has the advantage of being more economical, less complex and faster than the RA-COMT method, represent a useful tool for the exploration of the adrenergic system clinically as well as in research.