title: Total and free serum concentrations of carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide in children with epilepsy.
abstract: Simultaneous steady-state serum total and free (non-protein-bound) concentrations of carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide were measured in 68 patients under the age of 21 years with epilepsy (44 males, 24 females; mean age, 11.8 +/- 4.5 years). Thirty patients were maintained on monotherapy with carbamazepine. Mean serum total carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide concentrations obtained were 7.0 +/- 2.4 mg/L (29.5 +/- 10.0 mumol/L) and 1.5 +/- 0.6 mg/L (5.9 +/- 2.6 mumol/L), respectively. Mean serum-free carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide concentrations obtained were 1.3 +/- 0.5 mg/L (5.7 +/- 2.1 mumol/L) and 0.5 +/- 0.3 mg/L (2.2 +/- 1.1 mumol/L), respectively. Binding of carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide was 81% +/- 3% and 62% +/- 10%, respectively. There was no significant difference in binding between male and female patients or those maintained on monotherapy and polytherapy. Age correlated significantly with carbamazepine binding but not with carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide binding. Free concentrations of carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide correlated significantly with total carbamazepine and total carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide concentrations, respectively, indicating that the binding capacities of both carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide are constant at serum total carbamazepine concentrations within the quoted therapeutic range.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine; C012227:carbamazepine epoxide