Capillary isotachophoretic determination of cysteinyl leukotrienes.

The cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) C4, D4 and E4 are among the most potent lipid mediators of anaphylaxis and inflammation. A capillary isotachophoretic method is described for the determination of these cysteinyl LTs. The method is based on anionic separation and detection using UV (254 nm) and conductivity detectors. The total analysis time is of the order of 30 min. The limit of detection of the method was determined to be 0.5 nmol of LTE4. Despite of similar chemical structures, all three cysteinyl LTs can be determined simultaneously.