title: Fast and simple LC-MS/MS method for quantifying plasma voriconazole.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of publications point to the importance of voriconazole plasma monitoring. Our aim was to develop a fast and simple LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of plasma voriconazole.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 μL of plasma was extracted by adding a precipitation reagent containing the internal standard (d(3)-voriconazole). Analysis was performed on a Quattro Micro tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an Alliance HPLC 2795 separations module. MRM transitions were m/z 350.0→281.4 for voriconazole and m/z 353.0→284.4 for d(3)-voriconazole. Quantification was done by both linear calibration curves and multiplication of the response ratio by a predefined factor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A method using protein precipitation as only pretreatment with an analysis time of 2 min was developed. Within- and between-run precision, expressed as coefficient of variation, at 6 concentrations ranged from 2.8% to 11.7%. Accuracy, expressed as a percentage of the theoretically added concentration, ranged from 89.0% to 109.0%. Linearity was demonstrated from 0.06 mg/L (0.17 μM) to 20.0 mg/L (57.3 μM).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The described method offers a simple and rapid analysis of voriconazole in human plasma for clinical routine. Quantification with a predefined factor permits omitting calibration to each run and thereby reduces workload, costs and turn-around time.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. steven.pauwels@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pauwels
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Eldere
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Desmet
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000097:blood*; D065819:Voriconazole
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D014230:Triazoles; D065819:Voriconazole