Clinical utility of a new enzymatic assay for determination of mycophenolic acid in comparison with an optimized LC-MS/MS method

Ther Drug Monit. 2009 Apr;31(2):218-23. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0b013e31819a05f2.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of a new enzymatic assay for use on COBAS INTEGRA systems (Roche Total MPA assay). From 134 patients, plasma mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentrations were measured with both the enzymatic method and a validated liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) procedure, to compare these assays. The test principle of the enzymatic assay is inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase. Method comparison studies revealed good agreement of results (r > 0.99), overall and in patients with delayed graft function or hypoalbuminemia. MPA area under the concentration-time curve (AUCs) obtained with LC-MS/MS (x) and the enzymatic method (y) compared excellent in patients on cyclosporine (y = 1.04x - 1.05, r = 0.992) or tacrolimus (y = 1.02x - 0.63, r = 0.987). MPA exposure determined with either method at different time points after transplantation agreed well (eg, 25th/50th/75th percentile of day 10 AUCs-LC-MS/MS: 25.8/33.8/45.2 versus enzymatic assay: 26.2/34.4/45.3 mg.h/L). AUCs calculated for both methods were lower at the first 3 time points in patients on cyclosporine compared with tacrolimus (week 4 median cyclosporine/tacrolimus: LC-MS/MS 39.6/56.4 versus enzymatic assay 40.5/56.0 mg.h/L). Both LC-MS/MS and the enzymatic methods revealed a tendency toward lower AUCs and predose levels in patients with biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) (day 10 median: 0.9 mg/L with BPAR and 1.7 mg/L without BPAR). The Roche Total MPA assay is a reliable alternative to LC-MS/MS. It can be applied in the clinical setting allowing for easy, fast, and optimized patient management.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Area Under Curve
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Humans
  • IMP Dehydrogenase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / blood*
  • Kidney Transplantation
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycophenolic Acid / blood*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • IMP Dehydrogenase
  • Mycophenolic Acid