title: Simultaneous analysis of citalopram and desmethylcitalopram by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after solid-phase extraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a HPLC method for the determination of citalopram (CIT) and desmethylcitalopram (DCIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Solid-phase extraction followed by fluorescence detection was used to measure CIT and DCIT in deproteinized plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extraction recovery for both analytes was 104 +/- 3%. The calibration was linear over the concentration range of 12-1600 ng/mL for CIT and 6-800 ng/mL for DCIT. The within-run CVs were 2.5% for CIT (400 ng/mL) and 2.9% for DCIT (200 ng/mL) and the between-run CVs were 5.2% for CIT and 2.9% for DCIT, respectively. With low concentrations of CIT (50 ng/mL) and DCIT (25 ng/mL), the within-run CVs were 3.1% and 1.1% and the between-run CVs were 7.4% and 8.8%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 12 ng/mL for CIT and 6 ng/mL for DCIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method allows for the simultaneous determination of CIT and DCIT in plasma at therapeutic and toxic drug concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada L8N 4A6. qing.meng@usask.ca
authors.forename: Qing H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gauthier
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015283:Citalopram / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C046304:desmethylcitalopram