A HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATIONOF GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS IN HUMAN BLOOD

A method is described for the determination of plasma and serum glycos aminoglycans, which can be used in any laboratory equipped with an HPL C system. It is based on the sequential application of chondroitinases AC and ABC and separation of the resulting disaccharides by high-perf ormance liquid chromatography. All reagents are commercially available . This simple and rapid separation yields an accurate quantification a nd an exact distribution pattern. The determination of glycosaminoglyc an disaccharides is linear between 7 and 7000 mumol/l with coefficient s of variation between 3.0 and 7.7% for serum and between 2 and 14% fo r plasma. The recovery of the assay ranged from 93 to 106% for differe nt concentrations of glycosaminoglycan disaccharides. This HPLC method may therefore be considered as a candidate reference method.