Determination of catecholamines and their 3-O-methylated metabolites in urine by mass fragmentography with use of deuterated internal standards.

We report the determination of catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) and their 3-O-methylated metabolites (3-methoxytyramine, normetanephrine, and metanephrine) in urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, with use of stable isotopically labeled internal standards. Normal excretion values in terms of creatinine, expressed as a function of age, are given, together with results obtained for patients with neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma, parkinsonism treated with L-DOPA plus peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, and a patient with cardiogenic shock treated with dopamine. The results obtained for normal adults are discussed in relation to other catecholamine metabolites and mean overall catecholamine turnover.