A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform for the routine therapeutic drug monitoring of 14 antibiotics: Application to critically ill pediatric patients.

Background: The accurate measurement of plasma levels of antibiotics is crucial for the individualization of antimicrobial therapies based on PK/PD strategies. In this paper we describe a new rapid and simple LC-MS/MS platform for quantifying 14 antibiotics (amikacin, amoxicillin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, colistin, daptomycin, gentamicin, linezolid, meropenem, piperacillin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, tobramycin and vancomycin) and a beta-lactamase inhibitor (tazobactam) starting from 50 μL plasma samples.

Methods: Analyses were performed on a Thermo Scientific™ Ultimate™ 3000 LC system (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Milan, Italy) coupled to a Thermo Scientific™ TSQ Quantiva™ Triple Quadrupole mass spectrometer.

A rapid and robust UHPLC-DAD method for the quantification of amphotericin B in human plasma.

Amphotericin B is an antifungal drug widely used in Intensive Care Units. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of amphotericin B is recommended for the assessment of toxicity surveillance and treatment optimization. In this paper we described the development and validation of a new Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Diode Array Detection (UHPLC-DAD) method for the quantification of Amphotericin B in 200μL human plasma over a wide range of concentrations (0.

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry vs. commercial immunoassay for determination of vancomycin plasma concentration in children. Possible implications for everyday clinical practice.

Background: Vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is necessary for effective and safetherapy. The aim of the this paper was to develop a specific and robust ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for vancomycin quantification starting from low plasma volumes to be applied for the routine TDM in children.

Methods: Samples from children receiving intravenous vancomycin were analysed using a TSQ Quantum Access MAX Triple Quadrupole system coupled with an Accela 1250 UHPLC system after a rapid protein precipitation.

Urinary homovanillic and vanillylmandelic acid in the diagnosis of neuroblastoma: report from the Italian Cooperative Group for Neuroblastoma.

Background: Urinary homovanillic and vanillylmandelic acid (HVA and VMA) are well known biomarkers for the management of neuroblastoma (NB). Very few and contradictory publications on their diagnostic performance are present in the literature. The aim of this study is to review the results of HVA/Cr and VMA/Cr obtained by the reference laboratory of the Italian Cooperative Group for NB within a 7-year period using HPLC-EC.

Prognostic value of ferritin, neuron-specific enolase, lactate dehydrogenase, and urinary and plasmatic catecholamine metabolites in children with neuroblastoma.

Different plasma and urinary parameters have been tested as valuable prognostic markers for children with neuroblastoma (NB), but conclusive results from multivariate analyses are still lacking. Samples collected at diagnosis from 505 patients diagnosed in Italy between June 1994 and November 2010 were analyzed at the Italian reference laboratory according to standard methodologies. Patient clinical data were retrieved from the Italian NB Registry.

Identification and structural characterization by LC-ESI-IONTRAP and LC-ESI-TOF of some metabolic conjugation products of homovanillic acid in urine of neuroblastoma patients.

The levels of urinary catecholamine metabolites, such as homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid, are routinely used as a clinical tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of neuroblastoma (NB) patients. Recently, in the Clinical Pathology Laboratory Unit of G. Gaslini Children Hospital, a commercial method that employs liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection (LC-EC) has been introduced for the measurement of these metabolites in the routine laboratory practice.

Erythrocyte Galactose-1-phosphate measurement by GC-MS in the monitoring of classical galactosemia.

Background: Classical galactosemia is a rare but very severe disease characterized by a deficiency of the galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase enzyme. The confirmed galactosemic patients are treated with a galactose-restricted diet. Nevertheless, metabolites such as galactose-1-phosphate can accumulate in red blood cells of treated patients and its measurement is a standard practice for their monitoring.

Physical properties of root cementum: Part 10. Comparison of the effects of invisible removable thermoplastic appliances with light and heavy orthodontic forces on premolar cementum. A microcomputed-tomography study.

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment with clear sequential removable thermoplastic appliances (TAs) is gaining popularity as an alternative to treatment with fixed appliances. The amount of orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption generated by such appliances has not been investigated. In this prospective randomized clinical trial, we used x-ray microtomography to quantify resorption generated by treatment with ClearSmile appliances (ClearSmile, Woollongong, Australia) and compared the effects with those of heavy and light conventional orthodontic forces and no force.

A novel pressure film approach for determining the force imparted by clear removable thermoplastic appliances.

The force imparted by removable thermoplastic appliances (RTA) onto teeth has not been investigated in the past. This investigation was designed to explore a novel methodology to measure the magnitude and identify the pattern of this force. Eight patients with moderate malocclusion were selected.