Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses

Summary

Here we present a tandem mass spectrometry-based protocol for the quantification of frequently used antibiotics in intensive care units, namely cefepime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, linezolid, and piperacillin.

Abstract

There is an ever-increasing demand for the therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics in many clinical facilities, particularly with regard to the implementation of hospital antibiotic stewardship programs.

In the current work, we present a multiplex high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPCL-MS/MS) protocol for the quantification of cefepime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, linezolid, and piperacillin, commonly used antibiotics in intensive care units. The method was previously comprehensively validated according to the guideline of the European Medicines Agency.

After a rapid sample cleanup, the analytes are separated on a C8 reverse-phase HPLC column within 4 minutes and quantified with the corresponding stable isotope-labeled internal standards in electrospray ionization (ESI+) mass spectrometry in multiple reaction time monitoring (MRM). The presented method uses a simple instrumentation setting with uniform chromatographic conditions, allowing for the daily and robust antibiotic therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical laboratories. The calibration curve spans the pharmacokinetic concentration range, thereby including antibiotic amounts close to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of susceptible bacteria and peak concentrations (C_max) that are obtained with bolus administration regimens. Without the necessity of the serum dilution before the sample cleanup, the area under the curve for an administered antibiotic can be obtained through multiple measurements.

Introduction

Although antibiotics have revolutionized the practice of medicine, severe bacterial infections remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critical illnesses¹. In this regard, the prompt administration of a suitable anti-infective in an adequate dosage is of the uppermost importance for disease control².

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that the empirical treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is becoming increasingly problematic with the complexity of patient populations. This is especially true for intensive care units (ICU), where a tremendous inter-individual variability....

Protocol

NOTE: It is recommended to work in a fume hood when handling organic solvent, such as methanol. Prepare all buffers and mobile phases in volumetric flasks. If not otherwise specified, the solutions can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month after preparation.

1. Preparation of the Calibrators and Quality Control Samples

NOTE: A corresponding data analysis sheet for the preparation of stock and spike solutions is given in the Supplemental File. For reasons of traceability, insert the manufacturer, catalog number, and a lot number of each antibiotic in the corresponding columns. Dissolve all....

Results

Using the described protocol, a typical chromatogram is depicted in Figure 2. According to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) chromatography guidelines¹⁶, the column dead volume in the present system was determined with ~0.22 mL and the extra-column volume (including the injector, tubing, and connectors) with ~0.08 mL, giving a hold-up volume of ~0.30 mL. The calculated retention factors for all analytes were 2.8 (for cefepime) - 4.2.......

Discussion

In this manuscript, we report the protocol for a simple and robust tandem mass spectrometry-based method for the quantification of frequently used antibiotics in ICU¹⁹, namely cefepime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, linezolid, and piperacillin¹⁴. A spreadsheet accompanies the manuscript for the preparation of antibiotic stock solutions, calibrators, and quality controls, taking into account the purity of the antibiotics and the molecular weight of their counterion.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
cefepime hydrochloride	Sigma-Aldrich	1097636	USP Reference Standard
meropenem trihydrate	Sigma-Aldrich	Y0001252	EP Reference Standard
ciprofloxacin	Sigma-Aldrich	17850
moxifloxacin hydrochloride	Sigma-Aldrich	SML1581
linezolid	Toronto Research Chemicals	L466500
piperacillin sodium salt	Sigma-Aldrich	93129
cefepime-13C12D3 sulfate	Alsachim	C1297	Isotope labelled internal standard for cefepime
meropenem-D6	Toronto Research Chemicals	M225617	Isotope labelled internal standard for meropenem
ciprofloxacin-D8	Toronto Research Chemicals	C482501	Isotope labelled internal standard for ciprofloxacin
moxifloxacin-13C1D3 hydrochloride	Toronto Research Chemicals	M745003	Isotope labelled internal standard for moxifloxacin
linezolid-D3	Toronto Research Chemicals	L466502	Isotope labelled internal standard for linezolid
piperacillin-D5	Toronto Research Chemicals	P479952	Isotope labelled internal standard for piperacillin
methanol	JT Baker	8402
HPLC grade water	JT Baker	4218
formic acid	Biosolve	6914132
acetic acid	Biosolve	1070501
ammonium formate	Sigma-Aldrich	70221-25G-F
tert-Butyl methyl ether	Merck	101845
Fortis 3 μm C8 100 * 2.1 mm	Fortis	F08-020503
Ti-PEEK-encased Prifilter (2 μm)	Chromsystems	15011
2795 Alliance HPLC system	Waters	176000491
Quattro micro API Tandem Quadrupole System	Waters	720000338
QuanLynx 4.1 software	Waters	/	Data evaluation software provided by the mass spectrometer manufacturer
Supplemental File			Stock Solutions