On the isolation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans from serum samples using immunoaffinity chromatography prior to high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) for the purification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) from biological samples was explore d as a means to simplify the cleanup procedure and thereby decrease the tim e and cost of dioxin analysis. A monoclonal antibody (DD3) was used to prod uce IAC columns and to isolate the PCDD/Fs from serum. Native and C-13-labe led PCDD/Fs were spiked at the ppq to ppt range into serum. Quantitation of the PCDD/Fs was performed by a standard dioxin analytical method, i.e. hig h-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which was easily compatible with IAC. Five of the most toxic PCDD/Fs consistently showed ac ceptable recoveries (>25%) and were reliably quantitated. The congeners spe cifically recovered by this method represent almost 80% of the toxic equiva lency of dioxins and furans present in the serum samples. Dioxin-like polyc hlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were not recognized by this antibody column. Co mpared to conventional dioxin cleanup methods, IAC decreased solvent usage by 1.5 l/sample and took only 2 h to process a sample for analysis. Publish ed by Elsevier Science B.V.