Quantification of choline in serum and plasma using a clinical nuclear magnetic resonance analyzer

Background: Choline, a gut microbiome metabolite, is associated with cardiovascular risk and other chronic illnesses. The aim was to develop a high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based assay to measure choline on the Vantera (R) Clinical Analyzer.& nbsp;Methods: A non-negative deconvolution algorithm was developed to quantify choline. Assay performance was evaluated using CLSI guidelines.& nbsp;Results: Deming regression analysis comparing choline concentrations by NMR and mass spectrometry (n = 28) exhibited a correlation coefficient of 0.998 (intercept = -9.216, slope = 1.057). The LOQ were determined to be 7.1 mu mol/L in serum and 5.9 mu mol/L in plasma. The coefficients of variation (%CV) for intra-and inter-assay precision ranged from 6.2 to 14.8% (serum) and 5.4-11.3% (plasma). Choline concentrations were lower in EDTA plasma by as much as 38% compared to serum, however, choline was less stable in serum compared to plasma. In a population of apparently healthy adults, the reference interval was < 7.1-20.0 mu mol/L (serum) and < 5.9-13.1 mu mol/L (plasma). Linearity was demonstrated well beyond these intervals. No interference was observed for a number of substances tested.& nbsp;Conclusions: The newly developed, high-throughput NMR-based assay exhibited good performance characteristics enabling quantification of choline in serum and plasma for clinical use.

Automated summary

A high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based assay has been developed for measuring choline in serum and plasma. The assay exhibits good performance characteristics and can be used for clinical purposes.