Comparison between enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) for the therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid in Mexican pediatric patients with renal transplantation

Abstract

Introduction. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is an immunosuppressant; thus, monitoring of plasma levels is recommended. The most popular analytic methods used for the MPA quantification are the enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) and the high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The purpose of the present study was to compare both methods performances for the therapeutic drug monitoring of MPA in Mexican pediatric patients with renal transplantation. Material and Methods. A prospective cross‐sectional study was carried out, 25 patients with kidney transplantation were included. Mycophenolate mofetil was administered and blood samples were drawn at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after medication. Plasma samples were obtained and divided into two aliquots for further quantification by both methodologies. Each concentration determined by EMIT was compared with the corresponding quantification by HLPC-UV. Bias and precision were estimated as previously described by Sheiner and Beal. Results. EMIT overestimated MPA concentrations with a positive bias of 59.25% and a precision of 54.85%. AUC0-12, the recommended parameter for therapeutic drug monitoring of MPA, was significantly overestimated by EMIT in more than 50%. Discussion. Overestimation derives from metabolite cross-reactivity in EMIT, which does not occur with HPLC-UV. Hence, HPLC-UV appears to be a more suitable method for MPA therapeutic drug monitoring in Mexican pediatric patients with renal transplantation.