Serum succinate by capillary zone electrophoresis: marker candidate for hypoxia

Serum succinate may offer an alternate analyte to lactate for the evaluation of hypoxia. To evaluate the potential uses of succinate, a relatively rapid capillary zone electrophoresis assay was developed for use in the clinical laboratory setting. Employing a simple indirect ultraviolet detection method with commercially available instrumentation, the limit of detection for serum succinate was determined to be 0.1 mumol/L, the upper limit of linearity 100 mumol/L, and the between-run coefficient of variation about 15 percent. Based on specimens from 202 apparently healthy adults, the non-parametric reference interval was 1.0 to 9.2 mumol/L. Preliminary studies in stored blood show succinate increased 2-fold while lactate increased 11-fold, suggesting that succinate may be a clinically useful marker for hypoxia in patients after blood transfusion. This assay provides a practical tool for the investigation of the clinical applications of succinate.