The Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Department of Surgery
Neelam at work in the TDM lab

Drug Monitoring

 


The HPLC Laboratory

Located in the Division of Immunology & Organ Transplantation at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston the HPLC lab is a specialty laboratory whose mission is to provide state-of- the-art technology testing for critical dose immunosuppressive drugs to physicians caring for transplant recipients.

The laboratory performs clinical analysis for tacrolimus (2004), cyclosporine (2005), sirolimus and everolimus (2006) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) – mass spectrometric (MS) technology and HPLC technology for mycophenolic acid (2007) using procedures developed and validated in house.

The laboratory is CLIA-certified (#45D0973675) and participates in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) immunosuppressive drugs quality assurance surveys and the International Proficiency Testing Schemes for Immunosuppressives Drugs.

HPLC system Copyright The University of Texas Medical School at Houston 2007The HPLC Drug Monitoring Laboratory is licensed by the Texas Department of Health to perform analysis on clinical blood samples for quantitation of sirolimus, cyclosporine and tacrolimus by liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV), mass spectrometric (MS) or tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) detection. The lab performs contracted clinical work for Memorial Hermann Hospital. In June, 2006, the lab contracted with Kindred Hospital to perform analyses predominately for tacrolimus, and with an occasional cyclosporine or sirolimus sample. Their patients are primarily recuperating liver transplant recipients who underwent surgery at Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s or the Methodist Hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. The lab performs contracted research for Waters Corporation and for the University of Chicago.The lab assists UT faculty with their research.

Sirolimus:

Clinical analysis by the LC/UV procedure developed by our lab in 1994 continues 5 days-a week. The sample workload has decreased over the past two years by ~10%. The lab is working on validation of an LC/MS procedure. This new procedure will utilize the same sample preparation as the current cyclosporine LC/MS procedure (vide infra) with quantitation of both drugs from the same whole blood sample as the goal.

Cyclosporine:

Since May, 2004, The lab has worked to develop and validate LC/MS and LC/MS/MS procedures for cyclosporine. The lab began to utilize these procedures on clinical samples on May 1, 2005. On that date employees of the former “Cyclosporine Lab” were formally rolled into the HPLC Drug Monitoring Laboratory. Since that date the lab performs these procedures 7 days-a-week and analyzes ~500 samples per month. The lab has assisted researchers with analysis of blood samples from rats used in this drug development research.

Tacrolimus:

Clinical analysis by the LC/MS and LC/MS/MS procedures developed by our lab in 2003 continue 7 days-a week with the monthly sample workload has increasing over the last two years from 250 to over 300 samples per month..

Mycophenolic acid:

The lab is developing an LC/UV procedure for quantification of mycophenolic acid from plasma, as requested by the transplant physicians. An increasing percentage of the transplant patients are receiving MPA in either the CellCept or Myfortic formulation.

Physicians or hospitals wishing to discuss contracting with the laboratory for immunosuppressive drug analysis should direct their inquiries to:

James E. Hyland
Administrative Services Officer
Phone 713-500-7425 or
James.E.Hyland@uth.tmc.edu

 Amitava Dasgupta, PhD
Amitava Dasgupta, PhD
Professor Pathology & Laboratorty Medicine
Phone (713) 500 - 5407
Amitava.Dasgupta@uth.tmc.edu