Determination of methylmalonyl coenzyme A by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for measuring propionyl coenzyme A carboxylase activity in patients with propionic acidemia.

Propionic acidemia (PA) is an inherited metabolic disease caused by low activity of propionyl coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase (PCC), which metabolizes propionyl-CoA into methylmalonyl-CoA. Although many patients with PA have been identified by tandem mass spectrometry since the test was first included in neonatal mass screening in the 1990s, the disease severity varies. Thus, determining the specific level of PCC activity is considered to be helpful to grasp the severity of PA. We developed a new PCC assay method by the determination of methylmalonyl-CoA, which is formed by an enzyme reaction using peripheral lymphocytes, based on ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). With methylmalonyl-CoA concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, and 5µmol/L, the intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) were 8.2%, 8.7%, and 5.1%, respectively, and the inter-assay CVs were 13.6%, 10.5%, and 5.9%, respectively. The PCC activities of 20 healthy individuals and 6 PA patients were investigated with this assay. Methylmalonyl-CoA was not detected in one PA patient with a severe form of the disease, but the remaining PA patients with mild disease showed residual activities (3.3-7.8%). These results demonstrate that determination of PCC activity with this assay would be useful to distinguish between mild and severe cases of PA to help choose an appropriate treatment plan.

Kinetic and molecular orbital analyses of dicarboxylic acylcarnitine methylesterification show that derivatization may affect the screening of newborns by tandem mass spectrometry.

Newborns are routinely screened for organic acidemias by acylcarnitine analysis. We previously reported the partial catalytic methylesterification of dicarboxylic acylcarnitines by benzenesulfonic acid moiety in the solid extraction cartridge during extraction from serum. Since the diagnosis of organic acidemias by tandem mass spectrometry is affected by the higher molecular weight of these derivatized acylcarnitines, we investigated the methylesterification conditions. The kinetic constants for the methylesterification of carboxyl groups on the acyl and carnitine sides of carnitine were 2.5 and 0.24h(-1), respectively. The physical basis underlying this difference in methylesterification rates was clarified theoretically, illustrating that methylesterification during extraction proceeds easily and must be prevented.

Assay for methylmalonyl coenzyme A mutase activity based on determination of succinyl coenzyme A by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an inherited metabolic disease. In this condition, metabolism from methylmalonyl coenzyme A (CoA) to succinyl-CoA is inhibited because of either low methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) activity or adenosylcobalamin deficiency owing to altered vitamin B12 metabolism. A high-precision assay for detecting MCM activity would facilitate not only MMA diagnosis but also the ability to determine the severity of MMA. We developed an MCM assay method based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) that involves the determination of succinyl-CoA, which is formed in an enzyme reaction, using peripheral lymphocytes. Using 0.05, 0.5, and 5 µmol/L succinyl-CoA, the intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 5.2% and the inter-assay CV was less than 8.7%. The MCM activities of five healthy individuals and four patients were investigated with this assay. The MCM activities of the patients were very low in relation to those of healthy individuals. Together, these results show that the UPLC-MS/MS method is useful for a detailed MCM activity assay.