Liquid chromatographic separation of cerebrospinal fluid amino acids after precolumn fluorescence derivatization.

Sampling and HPLC analysis procedures for CSF amino acid determination were evaluated. It is recommended to analyse native CSF. The sample should be taken from the first 12 ml obtained by lumbar puncture. Amino acid concentrations are stable for short periods over a wide range of temperature however, storage at -70 degrees to -80 degrees C is recommended. With the precolumn derivatization and a 30 cm reverse-phase column, the separation and reproducibility are reliable for analyses in the daily hospital routine.