A novel method for the determination of 1,5-anhydroglucitol, a glycemic marker, in human urine utilizing hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/MS3

Plasma levels of 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1-deoxyglucose), a short-term marker of glycemic control, have been measured and used clinically in Japan since the early 1990s. Plasma levels of 1,5-anhydroglucitol are typically measured using either a commercially available enzymatic kit or GC/MS. A more sensitive method is needed for the analysis of 1,5-anhydroglucitol in urine, where levels are significantly lower than in plasma. We have developed a sensitive and selective LC/MS3 assay utilizing hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and ion trap mass spectrometry for the quantitative determination of 1,5-anhydroglucitol in human urine. Diluted human urine samples were analyzed by LC/MS3 using an APCI source operated in the negative ionization mode. Use of an ion trap allowed monitoring of MS3 transitions for both 1,5-anhydroglucitol and the internal standard which provided sufficient selectivity and sensitivity for analysis from 50 μL of human urine. Quantitation of 1,5-anhydroglucitol levels in urine was accomplished using a calibration curve generated in water (calibration range 50 ng/mL to 10 μg/mL). Method ruggedness and reproducibility were evaluated by determining the intra- and inter-day accuracies and precision of the assay, as well as the bench–top and freeze–thaw stability. For both inter- and intra-assay evaluations, the accuracy of the assay was found to be acceptable, with the concentrations of all QCs tested not deviating more than 8% from theoretical. Four-hour bench–top and freeze–thaw stabilities were also evaluated; 1,5-anhydroglucitol was found to be stable at room temperature (<18% deviation from theoretical) and during 3 freeze–thaw cycles (<1% deviation from theoretical, except at the lowest QC level). The LC/MS3 assay was then used to successfully determine the concentration of 1,5-AG in more than 200 urine samples from diabetic patients enrolled in a clinical study.