Bromide-sulfur interchange: ion chromatographic determination of total reduced thiol levels in plasma.

Plasma thiol concentration has long been recognised as a potential indicator for assessing the severity of oxidative stress processes within physiological systems. While such measurements are normally restricted to research studies, this communication has sought to develop and characterise a novel approach through which this parameter could be exploited within routine clinical settings. The protocol is based on the rapid derivatisation of reduced thiol functionalities (protein and monomolecular moieties) through the homogenous reaction of a naphthoquinone bromide derivative.