IMMUNOENRICHMENT OF URINARY S-PHENYLMERCAPTURIC ACID

A carefully designed hapten-protein conjugate has enabled the generati on of a monoclonal antibody reactive with S-phenylmercapturic acid (S- PMA). The immobilized antibody retains immunoreactivity and can be use d to enrich S-PMA from the urine of workers exposed to benzene. The pe rformance of the immunoaffinity column has been validated by compariso n with data obtained by GC/MS analysis from the urine of benzene-expos ed workers (range 12-168 mu g l(-1), corr, coeff. 0.98, n = 23). Furth ermore immunoaffinity chromatography facilitates the quantitative dete rmination of urinary S-PMA by reversed phase HPLC. Bioconcentration of S-PMA from the urine of benzene-exposed workers has permitted the qua ntification of S-PMA by HPLC at 8 h TWA (time weighted average) exposu res of around 1 ppm. The potential application of immunoaffinity enric hment in biomonitoring studies is discussed.