High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the anticancer drug irinotecan (CPT-11) and its active metabolite SN-38 in human plasma.
A rapid, sensitive, and specific high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of irinotecan (CPT-11) and its active metabolite SN-38 in human plasma is described. The analytes are quantified as the totals of their carboxylate and lactone form. The sample pretreatment consisted of a simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile-methanol (1:1, v/v), after which CPT-11 and SN-38 were quantitatively converted to their carboxylate form by adding 0.01 mol/L sodium tetraborate (pH, 9). Chromatography was carried out on a Zorbax SB-C18 column with fluorescence detection. The method has been validated, and stability tests under various clinically relevant conditions have been performed. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5.0 ng/mL for CPT-11 and 0.5 ng/mL for SN-38. Standard concentration ranges were linear between 5 and 1,500 ng/mL for CPT-11 and between 0.5 and 100 ng/mL for SN-38. This assay is simple, rapid, and very useful for therapeutic monitoring of CPT-11 and SN-38.
Schoemaker
Nadja E
NE
Department of Medical Oncology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital/The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. apnsc@slz.nl
Rosing
Hilde
H
Jansen
Sindy
S
Schellens
Jan H M
JH
Beijnen
Jos H
JH
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002166:Camptothecin