Itraconazole Serum Trough Concentrations Using Oral Capsules for the Treatment of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis: What is the Target?

Background: In regions where there is only itraconazole capsule as a therapeutic option for treatment of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), measuring the serum concentrations becomes even more important for therapeutic success.

Objective: Evaluate the initial itraconazole serum trough concentrations after the administration of oral capsule of itraconazole for the treatment of CPA.

Methods: The measurement was performed at least 7-days after initiation of therapy.

Thalidomide measurement in plasma and dried plasma spot by SPE combined with UHPLC-MS/MS for therapeutic drug monitoring.

To validate an SPE-ultra-HPLC-MS/MS method for thalidomide (THD) measurement in dried plasma spot (DPS). Extraction included acetonitrile/water clean-up and online SPE. The LOD, LLOQ, linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, process efficiency, carryover, stability, drug interference and dilution integrity were assessed.

Longitudinal Pharmacokinetics of Mycophenolic Acid in Elderly Renal Transplant Recipients Compared to a Younger Control Group: Data from the nEverOld Trial.

Background And Objectives: Elderly patients are increasingly likely to be recipients of transplants. However, the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in this population are yet to be studied in detail. The objective of this study was to assess whether there were differences in MPA pharmacokinetic parameter values between elderly recipients and younger-adult recipients during the 6 months immediately following renal transplantation.

UPLC-MS/MS assay validation for tacrolimus quantitative determination in peripheral blood T CD4+ and B CD19+ lymphocytes.

Monitoring tacrolimus (Tac) exposure in cell matrices enriched with lymphocytes can improve Tac therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in solid organ transplant recipients. An UPLC-MS/MS based assay for Tac quantification in peripheral blood T CD4+ and B CD19+ lymphocytes was developed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained by density gradient centrifugation and highly purified (purity >90%) T CD4+ and B CD19+ cell suspensions were acquired by magnetic negative selection from whole blood of 6 healthy volunteers.

Longitudinal Pharmacokinetics of Everolimus When Combined With Low-level of Tacrolimus in Elderly Renal Transplant Recipients.

Background: Although the proportion of elderly patients among renal transplant recipients has increased, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies of immunosuppressants rarely include older patients.

Methods: We studied 12-hour everolimus (EVL) PK in 16 elderly renal transplant recipients (all whites; 10 men; mean age, 64 ± 2 years (61-71 years), in 4 separate timepoints (at 7, 30, 60, and 150 days) after EVL introduction, corresponding to a mean postrenal transplantation day: PK1 (43 ± 4 days), PK2 (65 ± 7 days), PK3 (106 ± 17 days), and PK4 (206 ± 40 days). Patients received EVL (target trough level (Ctrough, 3-8 ng/mL), prednisone, and tacrolimus (TCL) (target Ctrough, 2-5 ng/mL).