Fluorometric determination of isoniazid and its metabolites in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography using in-line derivatization

A rapid, simple, and accurate method has been developed for the determination of isoniazid and its metabolites (isonicotinic acid, isonicotinylglycine, and acetylisoniazid) in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography. Isoniazid and its metabolites are separated by reversed-phase ion-exchange chromatography with a mobile phase containing hydrogen peroxide as a fluorogenic reagent and butanesulfonate as a hydrophobic ion exchanger, and are detected by fluorometry (excitation at 317 nm and emission at 415 nm) using in-line derivatization at high temperature (160 degrees C). The detection limits are isonicotinic acid, 0.5 mumol/L; isonicotinylglycine, 1 mumol/L; acetylisoniazid, 1 mumol/L; and isoniazid, 1.5 mumol/L. This method can be applied for acetylator phenotyping.