title: Variability in methotrexate serum and cerebrospinal fluid pharmacokinetics in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia: relation to assay methodology and physiological variables.
abstract: Methotrexate (MTX) steady state concentrations were evaluated in 42 children who had received high-dose infusions (6-8 g/m2) for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measured by immunoassay were found to be highly variable. Reanalysis by a reference high-pressure liquid chromatography method ruled out analytical factors as a source of this variability. The correlation coefficient between the analytical methods was 0.77 for the serum data and 0.88 for the CSF data. The variability of serum and CSF concentrations was higher in younger patients (serum; P = 0.05 and CSF; P = 0.18), and the CSF concentration decreased with decreasing age and in later courses. Body surface area, body mass index, weight, and gender were not significantly related to MTX variability. We conclude that the pronounced pharmacokinetic variability seen during MTX infusions remains largely unexplained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kvaløy
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nygaard
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Moe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindqvist
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Slørdal
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011580:Psychological Techniques / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D008727:Methotrexate