title: Hair as a biological specimen for therapeutic drug monitoring.
abstract: To study the potential of hair as a biological specimen in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), a review of the correlation between hair concentration, blood levels, dose and therapeutic effects of various drugs is presented. The results indicate there is a fair correlation between plasma and hair for several medicines. Moreover, hair samples have the advantage of providing information of more prolonged drug intake, thus allowing a better evaluation of patient compliance. Using segmental hair analysis, only a single sample is necessary. We conclude that hair has potential as a biological specimen in TDM--at least as far as compliance is concerned and possibly as a longer term record of drug concentrations--and that correlation between hair concentration, blood levels and clinical efficacy should be investigated for all drugs where TDM is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Beumer
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Bosman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Maes
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000032:analysis; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000032:analysis; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis; D010640:Phenothiazines
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010640:Phenothiazines