title: Therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus with the dried blood spot method.
abstract: In a preliminary investigation an assay for tacrolimus based on fingerprick sampling and consecutive application as a blood spot on sampling paper has been developed. The dried blood spot was analysed by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. The validated range was 1-30 microg/l. Intra- and inter-assay variability for precision and accuracy was <7.5% and 15%, respectively. Tacrolimus concentrations of 24 stable out patients were compared after both blood spot sampling and conventional venous sampling. Method agreement was investigated with the methods of Passing and Bablok and Bland Altman and proved suitable for clinical use. The dried blood spot method for tacrolimus seems promising for patient monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, University Hospital of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoogtanders
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Heijden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christiaans
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Edelbroek
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Hooff
authors.forename: L M L
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Stolk
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010045:Outpatients; D012015:Reference Standards; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C058028:immunomycin; D016559:Tacrolimus