Quantitative bioanalysis of strontium in human serum by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Abstract

Aim: A bioanalytical method using inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to measure endogenous levels of strontium in human serum was developed and validated. Results & methodology: This article details the experimental procedures used for the method development and validation thus demonstrating the application of the inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry method for quantification of strontium in human serum samples. The assay was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery and stability. Significant endogenous levels of strontium are present in human serum samples ranging from 19 to 96 ng/ml with a mean of 34.6 ± 15.2 ng/ml (SD). Discussion & conclusion: Calibration procedures and sample pretreatment were simplified for high throughput analysis. The validation demonstrates that the method was sensitive, selective for quantification of strontium (88Sr) and is suitable for routine clinical testing of strontium in human serum samples. Lay abstract: The study of strontium in human serum is useful to understand its biological function. Strontium is found naturally in the environment including drinking water and food. This alkali earth metal plays a biological role in bone and has been shown to have therapeutic properties for osteoporosis and to suppress chemically induced sensory irritation and inflammation. A technique called inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used for its superior ability to measure low levels of strontium in biological matrices. Strontium was measured in normal human samples to demonstrate the method utility and correlate with age, gender and race.