title: Zidovudine pharmacokinetics in HIV-positive women during different phases of the menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the pharmacokinetics of zidovudine during the menstrual cycle in human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) positive women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open, unblinded study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A women's clinic for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) at a large medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-positive women with a CD4+ cell count above 200/mm3, receiving long-term zidovudine therapy, with a history of regular menstrual cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients received a 100-mg dose of zidovudine in the fasted state on three occasions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zidovudine and zidovudine-glucuronide plasma concentrations were measured with radioimmunoassay to determine the pharmacokinetic characteristics during each menstrual phase. The drug's mean peak plasma concentrations (range 233-808 ng/ml) were 556 +/- 145, 385 +/- 132, and 495 +/- 143 ng/ml during the menstrual, late follicular-ovulatory, and luteal phases, respectively. Initially, plasma concentrations declined in a linear fashion from 0 to 4 hours, with a prolonged elimination phase in many patients after 4 hours. The mean zidovudine area under the curve was 886 +/- 156, 845 +/- 268, and 775 +/- 167 ng.hour/ml. The mean percentage of dose recovered was 44.2 +/- 26.0, 56.9 +/- 19.1, and 42.2 +/- 16.6, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pharmacokinetics of zidovudine were not different during the three phases of the menstrual cycle; however, considerable intrapatient and interpatient variability was noted for many of the values.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Pharmacy Research, State University of New York, Buffalo 14215.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cordaro
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bartos
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gugino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maliszewski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colomaio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hewitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000378:metabolism; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D015215:Zidovudine