High-performance liquid chromatographic measurement of guanidino compounds of clinical importance in human urine and serum by pre-column fluorescence derivatization using benzoin.

High-performance liquid chromatographic microanalyses for guanidino compounds in human physiological fluids have been accomplished by means of a pre-column fluorescence derivatization method using benzoin. The guanidino compounds in urine or deproteinized serum after ultrafiltration are converted to the fluorescent derivatives with benzoin in an alkaline medium, and the derivatives are separated simultaneously within 25 min on a reversed-phase column (mu Bondapak Phenyl) with a linear gradient elution of methanol in aqueous mobile phase (pH 8.5). The method permits the quantitative determination of guanidinosuccinic acid, methylguanidine, taurocyamine and guanidinobutyric acid at concentrations of as low as 8-78 pmol/ml in human urine and serum.