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Updated: Oct 26, 2026

Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 22, 2022
Beyond Uracil/DihydroUracil stability studies: insights into underlying physiological mechanisms
Samuel Huguet1, Fanny Bret1, Sophia Chabane1
1Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Service de Pharmacologie, Saint-Cloud, F-92210, France.
Abstract:
The article by Bennani et al. raises important considerations regarding the assessment of uracil (U) and dihydrouracil (UH₂) stability for DPD phenotyping. While the analytical method is robust, concerns arise about the experimental design used for stability evaluation. Specifically, the use of frozen plasma spiked with analytes does not adequately reflect the behavior of endogenous compounds in fresh biological samples. This may lead to an underestimation of pre-analytical variability. In contrast, studies performed on freshly collected plasma have demonstrated significant increases in uracil concentrations at room temperature, highlighting the influence of ongoing biological and enzymatic processes. These discrepancies have direct implications for clinical interpretation and have led to updated guidelines emphasizing strict pre analytical conditions. Therefore, the current approach to stability assessment may not fully capture real-world conditions encountered in routine practice. A detailed discussion of these methodological differences and their impact on DPD phenotyping is provided in the letter.
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