A Moditied HPLC Method for Routine Laboratory Measurement of Total Homocystine

Abstract

There is evidence that mild to moderrate elevation of total homocysteine due mainly to vitamin B'2 and folate deficiency or Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of occlusive vascular disease, thrombosis and stroke etc. Different methods of assaying total homocysteine (tHcy) have been reported in the past few decades. However, most of the HPLC methods reported in determination of tHcy cannot be diretly used under local laboratory conditions due to many reasons. Therfore, a HPLC method with fluorescence detection was developed with some modifications of the method described by Pfeiffer et. at. (1999) using cystamine dihydrochloride as the internal standard for routime determination oftHcy in plasma under local conditions.