Optimization of a Method for the Determination of a Mustard Gas Biomarker in Human Blood Plasma by Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A method for the determination of a mustard gas biomarker (an S-hydroxyethylthioethyl adduct with albumin) in blood plasma was optimized with the use of HPLC with tandem mass-spectrometric detection. This method is based on the hydrolysis of this adduct by the proteinase K enzyme with the formation of the following stable tripeptide with cysteine, proline, and phenylalanine: S-HETECys-Pro-Phe. The detection limit of mustard gas in human blood plasma was 2 ng/ml. The approach proposed was tested in the analysis of human blood plasma samples by the standard addition technique and also within the framework of the first official biomedical test carried out by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2016, and it exhibited a good accuracy, reproducibility, and specificity of determination.

Keywords

• mass spectrometry
• high performance liquid chromatography
• human blood plasma
• sulfur mustard adduct to albumin