Liquid-chromatographic determination of total hydroxyproline in urine

A reversed-phase "high-performance" liquid chromatographic assay for total hydroxyproline in urine is described. The urine samples are hydrolyzed overnight with acid, evaporated, solubilized, and derivatized with 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-sulfonyl chloride. The derivatives are chromatographed with a solvent gradient consisting of sodium acetate buffer and acetonitrile, the effluent being monitored at 436 nm. The useful lower limit of sensitivity for quantification is 13 pmol of hydroxyproline per 5-microL injection, corresponding to 33 mumol/L of urine. Either glutamine or cysteic acid is satisfactory as the internal standard. Peak heights and the amounts of hydroxyproline applied to the column are linearly related from 13.3 to 266 pmol. Mean analytical recovery was 83%. For four different concentrations the mean within-assay CV was 9.0% and the between-assay CV 12%. The normal reference interval found for 31 healthy adults was 31 to 177 mumol/24 h per square meter of body surface. We compared results for 10 samples from patients.