Determination of amino acids in human cerebrospinal fluid by gas chromatography

Abstract

AbstractIn the present study, the use of gas chromatography (GC) for the determination of amino acids in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. Although some amino acids may be determined using a packed column following the removal of glucose, the major interfering component, the inadequate resolution of other amino acids from remaining unidentified components results in poor quantitation. The use of wide bore columns improves reproducibility considerably, but still it does not provide sufficient resolution to enable quantitative determination of all amino acids in human CSF. Good reproducibility data, with CV values for all amino acids of 7% or less and recoveries generally between 80% and 100%, can only be obtained using the fused silica open tubular (FSOT) column. Normal amino acid levels are presented for 10 samples of human CSF, which compare well with data previously reported in the literature.