Clinical Chemistry, Vol 41, 275-283, Copyright © 1995 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry

1H NMR determination of urinary betaine in patients with premature vascular disease and mild homocysteinemia

P Lundberg, NP Dudman, PW Kuchel and DE Wilcken
Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Urinary N,N,N-trimethylglycine (betaine) and N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) have been identified and quantified for clinical purposes by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) measurement in previous studies. We have assessed these procedures by using both one-dimensional (1-D) and 2-D NMR spectroscopy, together with pH titration of urinary extracts to help assign 1H NMR spectral peaks. The betaine calibration curve linearity was excellent (r = 0.997, P = 0.0001) over the concentration range 0.2-1.2 mmol/L, and CVs for replicate betaine analyses ranged from 7% (n = 10) at the lowest concentration to 1% (n = 9) at the highest. The detection limit for betaine was < 15 mumol/L. Urinary DMG concentrations were substantially lower than those of betaine. Urinary betaine and DMG concentrations measured by 1H NMR spectroscopy from 13 patients with premature vascular disease and 17 normal controls provided clinically pertinent data. We conclude that 1H NMR provides unique advantages as a research tool for determination of urinary betaine and DMG concentrations.

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				K. A. Clow, J. R. Treberg, M. E. Brosnan, and J. T. Brosnan Elevated Tissue Betaine Contents in Developing Rats Are Due to Dietary Betaine, Not to Synthesis J. Nutr., September 1, 2008; 138(9): 1641 - 1646. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. Moolenaar, J. Poggi-Bach, U. F.H. Engelke, J. M.B. Corstiaensen, A. Heerschap, J. G.N. de Jong, B. A. Binzak, J. Vockley, and R. A. Wevers Defect in Dimethylglycine Dehydrogenase, a New Inborn Error of Metabolism: NMR Spectroscopy Study Clin. Chem., April 1, 1999; 45(4): 459 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]