f Voriconazole (VRC) plasma trough concentrations (C min ) are highly variable, and this could affect treatment efficacy and safety in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). We aimed to describe the intra-and interindividual variation of VRC C min throughout the course of VRC therapy and to identify the determinants of this variation. Clinical data, medications, and VRC C min (n ‫؍‬ 308) of 33 AHSCT patients were retrospectively collected. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genotypes of CYP2C19, CYP3A4, and CYP3A5 patients were retrospectively determined before allografting, and a combined genetic score was calculated for each patient. The higher the genetic score, the faster the metabolism of the patient. The VRC C min inter-and intraindividual coefficients of variation were 84% and 68%, respectively. The VRC dose (D) was correlated to VRC C min (r ‫؍‬ 0.412, P < 0.0001) only for oral administration. The administration route and the genetic score significantly affected the initial VRC C min . Considering oral therapy, patients with a genetic score of <2 had higher initial VRC C min /D than patients with a genetic score of >2 (P ‫؍‬ 0.009). Subsequent VRC C min remained influenced by the genetic score (P ‫؍‬ 0.004) but were also affected by pump proton inhibitor comedication (P < 0.0001). The high variability of VRC C min in AHSCT patients is partially explained by the route of administration, treatment with pump proton inhibitors, and the combined genetic score. This study suggests the interest in combined genetic score determination to individualize a priori the VRC dose and underlines the need for longitudinal therapeutic drug monitoring to adapt subsequent doses to maintain the VRC C min within the therapeutic range.

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How pharmacogenetics modulates the inhibitory effects of inflammation on voriconazole trough concentration (Cmin) remains unknown. In 29 recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation retrospectively studied, both a genetic score (which aggregated CYP2C19 and CYP3A genotypes) and inflammation significantly influenced voriconazole Cmin (n = 260). A trend toward (p = 0.03) a greater impact of inflammation in patients with the highest genetic score (corresponding to ultra-rapid metabolizers) was observed. Further researches are needed to confirm these data.

Voriconazole (VRC) overdoses are frequent and expose patients at high risk of adverse effects. This case–control study performed in hematological patients who benefited from VRC therapeutic drug monitoring from January 2012 to December 2015 aimed to identify risk factors of VRC overdose. Pharmacogenetic, biological, and demographic parameters at the time of VRC trough concentration (Cmin) were retrospectively collected from medical records. Cases (VRC overdose: defined by a VRC Cmin ≥ 4 mg/L; n = 31) were compared to controls (no VRC overdose: defined by VRC Cmin < 4 mg/L; n = 31) using nonparametric or chi‐square tests followed by multivariable analysis. VRC overdoses were significantly associated with high CRP and bilirubin levels, intravenous administration, and age in univariable analysis. In contrast, the proportion of CYP genotypes (CYP2C19, CYP3A4, or CYP3A5, considered alone or combined in a combined genetic score) were not significantly different between patients who experienced a VRC overdose and those who did not. In multivariable analysis, the class of CRP level (defined by median CRP levels of 96 mg/L) was the sole independent risk factor of VRC overdose (P < 0.01). Patients with CRP levels > 96 mg/L) had a 27‐fold (IC 95%: [6–106]) higher risk of VRC overdose than patients with CRP levels ≤ 96 mg/L. This study demonstrates that inflammatory status, assessed by CRP levels, is the main risk factor of VRC overdose in French hematological patients, whereas pharmacogenetic determinants do not appear to be involved.

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Posaconazole (PCZ) is the latest triazole antifungal agent that has been approved for prophylaxis of invasive aspergillosis in high-risk immunocompromised patients, such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients, who develop graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). PCZ has high interindividual variability with regard to its plasma drug trough concentrations (C min ). Moreover, the concentration-efficiency relationship remains to be better characterized in prophylaxis. To determine the variability factors in plasma drug concentrations, the PCZ C min and clinical parameters (localization of GVHD, presence of diarrhea, and diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis) were collected retrospectively in 29 consecutive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients who developed GVHD and were receiving prophylactic PCZ (200 mg, 3 times/day, for >7 days). Blood samples were analyzed at steady state to determine the PCZ C min by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The average PCZ C min was 1.28 ؎ 0.82 mg/liter (mean ؎ standard deviation; n ‫؍‬ 292 dosages), with an intraindividual variability of 49% and an interindividual variability of 64%. Twenty percent of C min s were below 0.7 mg/liter, which is considered the threshold of efficacy by the Food and Drug Administration. The patients who had gastrointestinal (GI) GVHD experienced a 24% reduction in the posaconazole C min , compared with those with other localizations of GVHD. This decrease reached 33% when patients presented with diarrhea due to GI GVHD or an infectious etiology. PCZ C min s were 26% lower when invasive aspergillosis was declared. These data demonstrate that GI disturbances affect drug concentrations. Thus, therapeutic monitoring of PCZ can be used to detect low drug concentrations, possibly resulting in a lack of efficacy of invasive aspergillosis prophylaxis. Despite the availability of new antifungal agents, invasive aspergillosis (IA) remains a leading cause of morbidity in immunocompromised patients. Posaconazole (PCZ) is the most recent broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent to be approved for use to prevent IA in high-risk immunocompromised patients. In graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a frequent complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, patients who receive PCZ prophylaxis have a lower cumulative incidence of proven or probable IA than those who are given fluconazole (19).Until now, the only way of administering PCZ was a 40-mg/ml oral suspension, which led to wide variations in bioavailability (17). Based on its lipophilicity, high-fat-content meals improve its absorption rate, leading to the recommendation of taking PCZ with at least a regular meal (4, 12). Because the gastric pH value also influences drug absorption, the concomitant intake of a PCZ oral suspension with an acidic beverage increases its absorption (12,14).Furthermore, due to its saturable absorption, bioavailability rises when the daily dose is split, i.e., for prophylactic treatment with 200 mg three times a day (t.i.d.) (6). B...

Infliximab (IFX) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor-alpha. It is currently approved for the treatment of certain rheumatic diseases or inflammatory bowel diseases. Clinical studies have suggested that monitoring IFX concentrations could improve treatment response. However, in most studies, IFX was quantified using ELISA assays, the resulting discrepancies of which raised concerns about their reliability. Here, we describe the development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for IFX quantification in human plasma. Full-length stable-isotope-labeled antibody (SIL-IFX) was added to plasma samples as internal standard. Samples were then prepared using Mass Spectrometry Immuno Assay (MSIA™) followed by trypsin digestion and submitted to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for quantification of IFX. The chromatographic run lasted 13 min. The range of quantification was 1 to 26 mg/L. For two internal quality controls spiked with 6 and 12 mg/L of IFX, the method was reproducible (coefficients of variation (CV%): 12.7 and 2.1), repeatable (intra-day CV%: 5.5 and 5.0), and accurate (inter-day and intra-day deviations from nominal values: +6.4 to +3.7 % and 5.5 to 9.2 %, respectively). There was no cross - contamination effect. Samples from 45 patients treated with IFX were retrospectively analyzed by LC-MS/MS and results were compared to those obtained with an in-house ELISA assay and the commercial Lisa Tracker® method. Good agreement was found between LC-MS/MS and in-house ELISA (mean underestimation of 13 % for in-house ELISA), but a significant bias was found with commercial ELISA (mean underestimation of 136 % for commercial ELISA). This method will make it possible to standardize IFX quantification between laboratories. Graphical Abstract Interassay comparison of the three methods: LC-MS/MS vs inhouse ELISA assay or vs Lisa Tracker® ELISA assays, Passing & Bablok (a) and Bland & Altman (b) for the comparison of LC-MS/MS vs in-house ELISA assay; Passing & Bablok

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