QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF HYALURONAN IN HUMAN SYNOVIAL-FLUID USING CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

The glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan, can be detected in human synovial f luid by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Variations in peak shape make this technique unsuitable for quantitative analysis of hyaluronan in r aw synovial fluid. Quantitative analysis was achieved by hydrolysis of the polymeric hyaluronan to the tetrasaccharide by the action of test icular hyaluronidase and separation of the product using CE. A UV dete ctor operating at 200 nm was used. The X-ray contrast material, omnipa que, a propriety aqueous solution of iohexol was used as internal stan dard. A second peak in the electropherogram of synovial fluid was quan tified. The variation in concentrations of these two components correl ate with the arthritic disease state of a joint.