Electron-capture, capillary column gas chromatographic determination of low-molecular-weight diols in serum

Research on alcoholism has revealed that concentrations of 1,2-propanediol, d,1-2,3-butanediol and meso-2,3-butanediol may be greater in the serum of chronic alcoholics than in the serum of social drinkers and nondrinkers. In connection with one of these studies, we developed methodology to determine these diols at the micromolar levels in 500 serum samples. The procedure consisted primarily of extraction of the serum with acetonitrile containing internal standard. The extract was then concentrated to dryness and reacted with p-bromophenylboric acid. The reaction mixture was injected into a gas chromatograph fitted with a capillary column and an electron-capture detector. The total coefficients of variation were best for 1,2-propanediol, 6.82 and 10.00%, and worst for d,1-2,3-butanediol, 13.64 and 19.22%. The observed means for the analytes were all within 10% of the spiked level.