Determination of cholesteryl 14-methylhexadecanoate in blood serum by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed for the determination of cholesteryl 14-methylhexadecanoate (CMH) in the blood serum. Lipids are extracted from 0.1 ml of blood serum and after centrifugation, the extract is chromatographed and individual cholesteryl esters, including CMH are separated and eluted with an acetonitrile—2-propanol mixture. The quantification of cholesteryl 14-methylhexadecanoate is precise and highly reproducible and the analysis may be completed within 35 min. The level of CMH in the blood of cancer patients appears to be a useful marker of malignant tumors.