Determination of phosphatidylethanol in blood from alcoholic males using high-performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light scattering or electrospray mass spectrometric detection

The 'pathologic' phospholipid, phosphatidylethanol (PEth), formed only in the presence of ethanol, was determined in extracts of human blood using high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) or electrospray (ES) mass spectrometry. Separation was performed using a diol column and a normal-phase binary gradient system. Decreasing concentrations of PEth (15 to 1 nmol/ml blood) could be detected by ELSD in three male alcoholics, up to 3 weeks after the beginning of an alcohol-free period, Using ES, levels down to 100 pmol/ml blood was detected. The molecular species of PEth were similar to those of phosphatidylcholine found in the same blood sample. The method provides a rapid quantitative and qualitative determination of PEth in blood. The limits of detection were 200 pmol (approximate to 125 ng) using ELSD and 140 fmol (approximate to 100 pg) using ES, total amounts injected. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.