We previously observed an inverse correlation between
stroke and urinary 3-hydroxypropyl
mercapturic acid (3-HPMA), an
acrolein-
glutathione metabolite, through its measurement by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). However, the cost of equipment for LC-MS/MS and its maintenance fee is very expensive and a cost-efficient method is required. In this study, we have developed a sensitive
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system to measure 3-HPMA using a chicken antibody recognizing 3-HPMA-conjugated chicken
albumin as
antigen. Linearity to measure 3-HPMA was obtained from 0 to 10 μM, indicating that this ELISA system is useful for measurement of urine 3-HPMA. It was confirmed that 3-HPMA in urine of
stroke patients decreased significantly compared with that of control subjects using the ELISA system. Using the ELISA kit, it became possible to evaluate the risk of brain
stroke by not only plasma but also by urine. These results confirm that shortage of
glutathione to detoxify
acrolein is one of the major causes of
stroke incidence. Our method contributes to maintenance of quality of life (QOL) of the elderly.