Loss of porphyrins from solution during analysis: effect of sample pH and matrix on porphyrin quantification in urine by "high-performance" liquid chromatography.

We report the effect of sample matrix and pH on quantification of porphyrins by HPLC with fluorimetric detection. For aqueous solutions of pH less than 2.5, HPLC peak heights of the porphyrins increased with decreasing pH, reaching a plateau at pH less than 1.0. This loss of porphyrins from solutions with pH greater than 1.0 appeared to be due to a combination of microprecipitation and aggregation effects. No such "pH effect" was observed for urine samples supplemented with mixed-porphyrin standards. Addition of trace amounts of albumin to aqueous solutions also decreased these pH-related losses. These findings suggest a porphyrin-protein interaction that prevents microprecipitation and aggregation processes. We conclude that standard solutions of porphyrins for HPLC analysis should be prepared in a urine matrix. If aqueous solutions are used, then the pH must be adjusted to less than 1.0. Urine samples from normal individuals require only adjustment of pH to less than 2 before analysis; however, porphyric urines requiring dilution should be prepared with porphyrin-free urine diluent.