title: Quantification of plasma and intracellular levels of the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir by competitive ELISA.
abstract: The HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir (Norvir; ABT-578), currently used in combination with nucleoside analogs and other protease inhibitors in anti-HIV therapy, has previously been quantified by an HPLC procedure. Here, we report the first convenient one-step competitive ELISA for measuring plasma and intracellular ritonavir in HIV patients. Anti-ritonavir antibody was raised in rabbits using ritonavir-KLH conjugate as immunogen, and the enzymatic tracer was prepared by coupling the drug to acetylcholine esterase. Samples for analysis were first extracted with methanol. Bound/free separation was achieved in a microtiter plate previously coated with anti rabbit IgG monoclonal antibody. Fifty percent inhibition was observed at 1 ng/ml ritonavir and the method accurately and specifically detected as little as 3-4 ng/ml of plasma ritonavir as well as intracellular drug in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients undergoing ritonavir therapy. Within-run and day to day coefficients of variation were below 10% and the drugs currently used in HIV therapy did not interfere with the test. The ELISA was applied to the measurement of plasma ritonavir and to the determination of the extracellular/intracellular drug level ratios in HIV patients receiving long-term multidrug therapy.
authors: Laboratoire de Chimie Bio-Organique, UMR CNRS 6001, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France.
authors: Fatima
authors: F
authors: Akeb
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Ferrua
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Creminon
authors: Clotilde
authors: C
authors: Roptin
authors: Jacques
authors: J
authors: Grassi
authors: Marie-Claire
authors: MC
authors: Nevers
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Guedj
authors: Rodolphe
authors: R
authors: Garraffo
authors: Danièle
authors: D
authors: Duval
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D002460:Cell Line; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007424:Intracellular Fluid; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D019438:Ritonavir