Plasma-serum differences in the assessment of tricyclic antidepressant blood levels.
Concomitant plasma and serum tricyclic determinations were performed on 20 patients chronically administered imipramine (N = 10), amitriptyline (N = 10), desipramine (N = 10), and nortriptyline (N = 10). Plasma levels for these tricyclic antidepressants were significantly greater than the corresponding serum levels. Plasma-serum differences for the secondary amines (DMI/NT) were more than twice those for the tertiary amines (IMI/AMI). The authors thus suggest that clinicians and investigators specify the specific source of blood sample when assessing blood levels of the secondary tricyclic antidepressants.
Psychiatry Service, Bronx Veterans Administration Medical Center, NY 10468.
E F
EF
Coccaro
F
F
Adan
D
D
Allen
T B
TB
Cooper
D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000097:blood; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000097:blood*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000097:blood; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000097:blood; D010949:Plasma / Q000032:analysis
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D000639:Amitriptyline; D009661:Nortriptyline; D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine