Simultaneous HPLC of twelve monoamines and metabolites shows neuroblastomacell line releases HVA and HIAA

Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor occurring usually in children less than 5 ye ars old. It has been difficult to distinguish neuroblastoma from other chil dhood tumors through morphological diagnosis. Urine homovanillic acid (HVA) , which is a metabolite of dopamine, has been proposed as a diagnostic inde x. Although increased levels of a serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole-3-a cetic acid (HIAA), have also been observed in urine samples of the patients , they were largely attributed to dietary amines. By using an HPLC system w ith electrochemical detection, which can simultaneously assay 12 monoamines and metabolites, we showed that HVA and HIAA are two of the most prominent monoamine metabolites in the medium after a neuroblastoma cell line (IMR-3 2) was cultured for 3 days. Moreover, we found that the levels of HVA and H IAA in the media are proportional to the cell densities. These results sugg est that the levels of HVA and HIAA in tissue culture media, or in urine fr om patients whose dietary amines are well controlled, may provide a valuabl e diagnostic index for neuroblastoma. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.