title: HPLC-fluorescence assay for acyclovir in children.
abstract: A simple, accurate, reliable and sensitive HPLC method was developed and validated for quantitating acyclovir in human plasma. Sample (100 microL) preparation involved addition of guanosine (internal standard) and protein precipitation with 7% perchloric acid and centrifugation. Supernatant (20 microL) was injected onto a C18 HPLC column with a mobile phase of 0.05 m sodium phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (pH 2.35, 992:8, v/v) with 25 microL of 0.4 m tetrabutylammonium hydroxide titrant and fluorescence detection (excitation, 260 nm; emission, 375 nm). Analyte recovery was 101% and the assay response was linear over the acyclovir concentration range of 0.1-20 mg/L. Intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were less than 7%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.033 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. In five paediatric oncology patients administered intravenous acyclovir, concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 43.65 mg/L. This method can be used to measure acyclovir concentrations in paediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Earl
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McLachlan
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000097:blood*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir