Applications of Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling Technique: A Systematic Critical Review.

METHODS: A novel microsampling device called Volumetric Absorptive microsampling (VAMS), developed in 2014, appears to have resolved the sample inhomogeneity inherent to dried blood spots, with improved precision in the volume of sample collected for measuring drug concentration. A literature search was conducted to identify several analytical and pharmacokinetic studies that have used VAMS in recent years. RESULTS: The key factors for proper experimental design and optimization of the extraction of drugs and metabolites of interest from the device were summarized. This review focuses on VAMS and elaborates on bioanalytical factors, method validation steps, and scope of this technique in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: The promising microsampling method VAMS is especially suited for conducting pharmacokinetic studies with very small volumes of blood, especially in special patient populations. Clinical validation of every VAMS assay must be conducted prior to the routine practical implementation of this method.

The Impact of Common Inhaler Errors on Drug Delivery: Investigating Critical Errors with a Dry Powder Inhaler.

BACKGROUND: Researchers, using checklists, have identified that 30%-90% of patients make errors in inhaler use. It is not certain whether these errors affect the delivery of medication. We have developed an electronic monitor (INCA™) that records audio each time an inhaler is used, providing objective information on inhaler technique. The aim of this study was to assess the effect that correctly identified inhaler errors, with the INCA device, have on drug delivery. METHODS: This was a prospective study of healthy volunteers using a salbutamol Diskus™. The inclusion criteria allowed for the recruitment of healthy participants who were nonfrequent users of Salbutamol. Each participant was assigned to one control "phase" first and two/three subsequent error "phases." Each phase consisted of six doses of the drug taken 6 hours apart, and the participants' blood was drawn before and 25 minutes after doses one and six. This allowed us to sample their trough and peak serum salbutamol levels. RESULTS: Fourteen healthy volunteers were studied. The inhaler technique errors simulated in this study included exhaling into the device after drug priming but before inhalation, low inspiratory flow, multiple inhalations, low breath hold, missed doses, and wrong inhaler position. Only the exhalation error, low inspiratory flow, and missed doses led to a significant reduction in serum salbutamol levels. After six doses of the exhalation error, there was a 62% reduction in peak salbutamol levels. Low inspiratory flow led to a 52% reduction in peak salbutamol levels and a 78% reduction in trough levels. Missed doses led to a 37% reduction in trough salbutamol levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm that technique errors affect drug delivery. Furthermore, we were able to identify that the most critical technique errors with the Diskus inhaler are exhalation into the device before inhalation, poor inspiratory flow, and missing doses.

Chemoinformatic methods for predicting interference in drug of abuse/toxicology immunoassays.

BACKGROUND: Immunoassays used for routine drug of abuse (DOA) and toxicology screening may be limited by cross-reacting compounds able to bind to the antibodies in a manner similar to the target molecule(s). To date, there has been little systematic investigation using computational tools to predict cross-reactive compounds. METHODS: Commonly used molecular similarity methods enabled calculation of structural similarity for a wide range of compounds (prescription and over-the-counter medications, illicit drugs, and clinically significant metabolites) to the target molecules of DOA/toxicology screening assays. We used various molecular descriptors (MDL public keys, functional class fingerprints, and pharmacophore fingerprints) and the Tanimoto similarity coefficient. These data were then compared with cross-reactivity data in the package inserts of immunoassays marketed for in vitro diagnostic use. Previously untested compounds that were predicted to have a high probability of cross-reactivity were tested. RESULTS: Molecular similarity calculated using MDL public keys and the Tanimoto similarity coefficient showed a strong and statistically significant separation between cross-reactive and non-cross-reactive compounds. This result was validated experimentally by discovery of additional cross-reactive compounds based on computational predictions. CONCLUSIONS: The computational methods employed are amenable toward rapid screening of databases of drugs, metabolites, and endogenous molecules and may be useful for identifying cross-reactive molecules that would be otherwise unsuspected. These methods may also have value in focusing cross-reactivity testing on compounds with high similarity to the target molecule(s) and limiting testing of compounds with low similarity and very low probability of cross-reacting with the assay.

Using molecular similarity to highlight the challenges of routine immunoassay-based drug of abuse/toxicology screening in emergency medicine.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory tests for routine drug of abuse and toxicology (DOA/Tox) screening, often used in emergency medicine, generally utilize antibody-based tests (immunoassays) to detect classes of drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opiates, and tricyclic antidepressants, or individual drugs such as cocaine, methadone, and phencyclidine. A key factor in assay sensitivity and specificity is the drugs or drug metabolites that were used as antigenic targets to generate the assay antibodies. All DOA/Tox screening immunoassays can be limited by false positives caused by cross-reactivity from structurally related compounds. For immunoassays targeted at a particular class of drugs, there can also be false negatives if there is failure to detect some drugs or their metabolites within that class. METHODS: Molecular similarity analysis, a computational method commonly used in drug discovery, was used to calculate structural similarity of a wide range of clinically relevant compounds (prescription and over-the-counter medications, illicit drugs, and clinically significant metabolites) to the target ('antigenic') molecules of DOA/Tox screening tests. These results were compared with cross-reactivity data in the package inserts of immunoassays marketed for clinical testing. The causes for false positives for phencyclidine and tricyclic antidepressant screening immunoassays were investigated at the authors' medical center using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as a confirmatory method. RESULTS: The results illustrate three major challenges for routine DOA/Tox screening immunoassays used in emergency medicine. First, for some classes of drugs, the structural diversity of common drugs within each class has been increasing, thereby making it difficult for a single assay to detect all compounds without compromising specificity. Second, for some screening assays, common 'out-of-class' drugs may be structurally similar to the target compound so that they account for a high frequency of false positives. Illustrating this point, at the authors' medical center, the majority of positive screening results for phencyclidine and tricyclic antidepressants assays were explained by out-of-class drugs. Third, different manufacturers have adopted varying approaches to marketed immunoassays, leading to substantial inter-assay variability. CONCLUSION: The expanding structural diversity of drugs presents a difficult challenge for routine DOA/Tox screening that limit the clinical utility of these tests in the emergency medicine setting.

Toxicology laboratory analysis and human exposure to p-chloroaniline.

INTRODUCTION: p-Chloroaniline is more potent at producing methemoglobin than aniline in animal models. This case highlights the clinical presentation of an inhalation exposure to p-chloroaniline and associated laboratory analysis. An in-vitro study evaluating the metabolism of p-chloroaniline in human hepatocytes was undertaken to evaluate the metabolic fate more closely. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20 year-old man was working at a chemical waste plant when he developed dizziness, abdominal pain, and nausea. The exam was remarkable for coma, tachycardia, cyanosis, and pulse oximetry of 75%. Arterial blood gases showed a pH 7.38, pCO(2) 41 mmHg, pO(2) 497 mmHg, bicarbonate 24 mEq/L and methemoglobin 69%. Methylene blue administration led to complete recovery without sequelae. p-Chloroaniline was later identified as the chemical involved. He denied direct contact with the chemical, but was not wearing a dust mask or respirator. GC/MS confirmed p-chloroaniline and metabolites in the patient's urine. METHODS: Human hepatocytes were incubated with 100 microM p-chloroaniline for 24 hours, in both rifampicin- and vehicle only-treated cells. The cell culture medium was collected for GC/MS analysis for p-chloroaniline metabolites. RESULTS: Similar to the patient sample, both p-chloroaniline and p-chloroacetanilide were identified by GC/MS in hepatocytes incubated with p-chloroaniline. Neither p-chloroaniline incubated in empty cell culture nor direct GC/MS injection of p-chloroaniline generated any p-chloroacetanilide via non-enzymatic degradation. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The seemingly innocuous dermal and inhalation exposure to p-chloroaniline dust can lead to life-threatening methemoglobinemia. The diagnosis can be confirmed with GC/MS analysis of the patient's urine, searching for p-chloroaniline and its primary metabolite p-chloroacetanilide.

Drug monitoring: simultaneous analysis of lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, 10-hydroxycarbazepine, and zonisamide by HPLC-UV and a rapid GC method using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector for levetiracetam.

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay using UV detection is described for the simultaneous measurement of the newer generation anti-epileptic medications lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine (parent drug and active metabolite 10- hydroxycarbazepine), and zonisamide. Detection of all four compounds can be done at 230 nm; however, there is a potential interference with zonisamide in patients on clonazepam therapy. Therefore, the method uses dual wavelength detection: 230 nm for oxcarbazepine and 10-hydroxycarbazepine and 270 nm for lamotrigine and zonisamide. In addition, a simple gas chromatography method using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector is described for the measurement of levetiracetam, another of the recently approved anti-epileptic medications. For both methods, limits of quantitation, linearities, accuracies, and imprecisions cover the therapeutic range for drug monitoring of patients. A wide variety of clinical drugs, including other anti-epileptic drugs, do not interfere with these assays. These procedures would be of special interest to clinical laboratories, particularly due to the limited availability of immunoassays for newer generation anti-epileptic medications and that therapeutic uses of these drugs are expanding beyond epilepsy to other neurologic and psychiatric disorders.