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Adriana Rivero, Juan Antonio Allué, Ana Grijalba, Mercedes Palacios, Sergio García Merlo
Comparison of Two Different Methods for Measurement of Phenylalanine in Dried Blood Spots
Phenylketonuria is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by a defect in the hydroxylation of phenylalanine. Newborn screening is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. A phenylalanine dehydrogenase-coupled enzymatic assay (Quantase) in microtiter plates for the screening of phenylketonuria was evaluated and compared with our routine method based on the modified fluorometric McCaman method. The test exhibited a linear calibration curve with a good slope as well as sufficient imprecision (< 10%), recovery (99.23 ± 4.86%) and limit of detection (54.5 ?mol/l). One hundred and ninety dried blood spots were analysed by this enzymatic method and compared with McCaman's. Although Quantase (Teknovas, Bilbao, Spain) showed a phenylalanine mean level in dried blood spot 18.2 ?mol/l higher than that obtained with our routine method, the agreement between both techniques was considered acceptable.
Clinical Chemical Laboratory Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1434-6621
Volume: 38, 08/2000
Pages: 773 - 776