Aim: This study aimed to establish a method to determine tigecycline (TGC) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 12 patients with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) central nervous system infection (CNSI) and evaluate the correlation of TGC in CSF and serum samples. Materials & methods: TGC in CSF and serum was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Results: In all 12 patients, the CSF-to-serum ratio of TGC at a steady-state trough concentration ranged from 21.46 to 44.46%, and the mean value was 31.61 ± 8.13%. The correlation of TGC in CSF and serum was 0.5065. Conclusion: CNSI might have no potential to increase the penetration ability of TGC into the CSF. The correlation between the concentrations of TGC in CSF and serum at steady state was demonstrated to be positive.
Keywords: CNSI; CSF; CSF-to-serum ratio; HPLC–MS/MS; tigecycline.