Mass spectrometric method for detecting carbon 13 enrichment introduced by folate coenzymes in uric acid.

Using [2-13C]uric acid as a test material, we developed a mass spectrometric procedure that detects and estimates the difference in 13C enrichment at the positions of carbons 2 and 8 of the purine ring. This method could replace radiochemical methods and could trace the incorporation of carbon fragments into the purine ring from 13C-labeled metabolites in humans.