Screening for catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites, metanephrine, and normetanephrine, is a widely accepted approach for diagnosis of catecholamine-secreting tumors, such as pheochromocytomas, neuroblastomas, and paragangliomas. Since these compounds are highly polar and hydrophilic, with negative log D and log P values, their structural properties make sample preparation and analysis difficult. In this study you will learn how the automation of dispersive pipette extraction (DPX) using the Microlab NIMBUS is highly reproducible and provides the necessary sensitivity for clinical applications.
