A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for acid ceramidase activity in cultured fibroblasts from patients with Farber's disease and from controls

Abstract

The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method we devised for assay of acid ceramidase activity involves coupling of a fluorescent probe to the enzymatically released sphingosine in the reaction mixture and detection of the fluorescent sphingosine derivative by reverse-phase HPLC. Using the method, acid ceramidase activity in fibroblast homogenates was accurately assayed, with or without the addition of exogenous ceramide, as the substrate, and the patients and carriers of Farber's disease could be readily diagnosed.