Clinical Assay for EtG and EtS Metabolites: Customized Chromatography

摘要

Standard detection methods for alcohol abuse by headspace GC-FID are only reliable for 6-24 hours after ingestion due to the body's normal metabolic process. Monitoring of the ethanol metabolites ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) from urine can extend the detection window up to 80 hours after exposure. Analysis of these metabolites can be challenging due to their polar nature and difficult matrices, requiring a lengthy method development step. A rapid analysis of urinary EtG and EtS was developed that provides clinical testing laboratories with a dramatic increase in efficiency while simultaneously reducing costs due to solvent consumption. Sample preparation costs were minimal due to the "dilute and shoot" methodology. Good retention and resolution of EtG and EtS from known endogenous interferences allowed for a robust methodology with detection limits well below regulatory limits. The assay was verified by running actual patient samples to verify analytical precision.