A new cost effective technique as an alternative method of sampling bio fluids.
Dried Blood Spot analysis (DBS) is an alternative method of sampling bio fluids, where a blood sample is spotted on a filter paper and dried. This technique is minimal invasive and cost effective in terms of sample collection, shipment and storage. Most analytes show a high stability during storage without refrigeration [1].
The DBS-MS16 is a fully automated card extraction system developed by CAMAG [2]. The DBS cards are moved to the extraction unit, where a plunger seals a circular hole in the card. The extraction solvent is pumped through the card and loaded into a loop (red arrows). By switching the 10-port valve, the loop volume is connected with the HPLC-MS/MS flow path (green arrows) and guided to the column and the tandem MS after separation. Meanwhile, the extraction head is cleaned by a rinsing cycle to avoid carry over.
A combined method for the determination of both vitamin D and E derivates was developed via the automated DBS-LC-MS/MS approach. The separation was achieved in less than 9 minutes using a Zorbax C8 column with methanol/water as mobile phase. Further optimization and validation of the method is in progress.
The LC/MS/MS chromatogram shows (with increasing retention time) 25-Hydroxy vitamin D3 (1), vitamin D3 (2), γ-Tocopherol (3), α-Tocopherol (4) and α-Tocopherol acetate (5) in spiked dried blood spots.
The recent development of various validated DBS methods in different fields of application indicates the high potential of DBS analysis. The technique is deployable for pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic studies as well as for many other fields, like healthcare analysis. However, further investigations in terms of analyte stability have to be done.
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Chemistry and Bioanalytics, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
