Measurement of free choline concentrations in maternal and neonatal blood by micropyrolysis gas chromatography

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta Vol. 149; no. 1; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: McMahon, Kathleen E., Farrell, Philip M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 30.06.1985; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Choline; Choline - blood; Chromatography, Gas - instrumentation; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Erythrocytes - analysis; Female; Fetal Blood - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Newborn; Non peptidic neurotransmitters, polyamines; Nutrition; Other biological molecules; Plasma - analysis; Pregnancy; Prematurity; Reference Standards; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn - blood; Pregnancy; Newborn; Nutrition; Prematurity; Choline; Assay; Human; Gas chromatography; Pyrolysis; Mother; New born; Chromatography; Blood
• ISSN: 0009-8981; 1873-3492
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-8981(85)90267-0

The development of a micropyrolysis gas Chromatographie technique for the determination of free choline in plasma and erythrocytes is reported as a means to clinically assess choline status. A micropyrolyzer syringe unit was fabricated and the method was standardized through repeated trials with a single plasma specimen. The interassay coefficient of variance was 1.3% for the standardized trials on plasma and erythrocytes. Choline status was assessed in control women, mothers and premature infants at birth and up to 14 days of life. At birth, plasma choline levels in the infants (32.2 ± 5.5 μmol/l) were significantly higher than those in the mothers (12.9 ± 2.6 μmol/l) and the control women (16.9 ± 1.6 μmol/l). The infants' plasma choline concentrations had decreased significantly by 7 days of life and remained at the lower level at day 14, independent of the nutritional intervention administered.