[Determination of cotinine in human urine with gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE

To establish the method of gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of the cotinine (COT) in human urine.

METHODS

The conjugated trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (THOC) and COT were hydrolyzed in human urine with beta-glucuronidase. The composition of COT was extracted with the mixture of dichloromethane and n-butyl acetate (2:1) and was separated with HP-5MS fused-silica capillary column. The GC-MS was used for determining its content.

RESULTS

The monitoring limit of this method was 0.02 microg/L. Its recovery rate was higher than 90%, Its accuracy rate was 4.30%. It was used for the determination of the cotinine in human urine in Guangzhou Biological Bank the Elderly Cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The GC-MS method is a good microanalysis for monitoring the cotinine in human urine rapidly and accurately with little background disturbance. It has been applied in our Guangzhou Cohort Study for determining cotinine in human urine.