STUDY ON MEASUREMENT OF DELTA-AMINOLEVULINIC-ACID IN PLASMA BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A method for the determination of delta-aminolevulinic acid in plasma of lead-exposed workers by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection of a fluorescent delta-aminolevulinic acid der ivative ethylidineamino-3,5-diacetyl-4,6-dimethylpropionic acid) was e stablished. The detection limit of delta-aminorevulinic acid in plasma was 0.01 mu g/ml at a signal-to-noise ratio of 5:1. A linear correlat ion was obtained between the amounts of delta-aminolevulinic acid inje cted from 0.01 to 0.5 mu g/ml (r = 0.999). The recovery of 0.05 and 0. 1 mu g/ml of delta-aminolevulinic acid added to plasma with various co ncentrations of delta-aminolevuIinic acid in plasma ranged from 80.0 t o 100.8%. This method, combined with the use of an automatic sampler, should facilitate the routine measurement of delta-aminolevulinic acid in plasma.