Key issues in F₂-isoprostane analysis

A large body of evidence indicates that measurement of F₂-isoprostanes, specific prostaglandin F₂-like compounds derived from the non-enzymatic peroxidation of arachidonic acid, is a reliable biomarker of oxidant stress in the human body. Since the discovery of F₂-isoprostanes in the early 1990s, a variety of analytical approaches has been introduced for the quantification of these novel compounds. The aim of the present review is to shed light on the available gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric assays for the measurement of plasma or urinary F₂-isoprostanes and to highlight a number of issues which need to be addressed in order to implement F₂-isoprostane measurement as a gold-standard biomarker of oxidative stress in biological samples.