title: Development of a LC-MS/MS methodology for the monitoring of the antichagasic drug benznidazole in human urine.
abstract: Monitoring the drug benznidazole in biological fluids is a powerful tool for clinical diagnostic and pharmacological studies in chagasic patients. However, research in this concern needs to be done. The accurate quantitation of this drug in complex matrices represents a highly challenging task complicated by the absence of sensitive analytical methods. It follows that sample processing strategies, preparation/cleanup procedures, and chromatographic/ionization/detection parameters, were evaluated for method optimization. The summation of this work generated a rapid, selective, sensitive methodology based on reversed-phase chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of benznidazole in urine samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first report of a LC-MS/MS platform employed for this application. Matrix effect was determined; a 90% of signal suppression was observed. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.75 and 4.85 μg L(-1); respectively. The latter allowed the method's application to the detection of benznidazole in clinical studies and pharmacological monitoring analysis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Bloque III, Avenida Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis CP 5700, Argentina.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Área de Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 47 y 115, La Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1900, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Marson
authors.affiliation: Área de Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 47 y 115, La Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1900, Argentina.
authors.forename: Guido Enrique
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Mastrantonio
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Bloque III, Avenida Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis CP 5700, Argentina.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raba
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Bloque III, Avenida Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis CP 5700, Argentina. Electronic address: ecerutti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerutti
mesh_terms: D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction / Q000379:methods; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000652:urine*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole
keywords: Benznidazole; Chagas disease; Human urine; Liquid chromatography; Tandem mass spectrometry