A Simple, Fast, and Reliable LC-MS/MS Method for the Measurement of Homovanillic Acid and Vanillylmandelic Acid in Urine Specimens

Methods Mol Biol. 2022:2546:175-183. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2565-1_16.

Abstract

Homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) are catecholamine metabolites used in the diagnostic workup of neuroendocrine tumors. Here we describe a simple dilute-and-shoot method for simultaneously quantitating HVA and VMA in human urine specimens. The method employs analyte separation on a reverse-phase liquid chromatography column followed by detection using electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), wherein qualifier and quantifier ion transitions are monitored. This is a simple and fast analytical method with an injection-to-injection time of 4 min.

Keywords: Adrenal medulla; Homovanillic acid; Neuroblastoma; Pheochromocytoma; Vanillylmandelic acid.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catecholamines
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods
  • Homovanillic Acid / chemistry
  • Homovanillic Acid / urine
  • Humans
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry* / methods
  • Vanilmandelic Acid* / urine

Substances

  • Catecholamines
  • Vanilmandelic Acid
  • Homovanillic Acid