STEADY-STATE CONCENTRATION OF CYCLOSPORINE-G (OG37-325) AND ITS METABOLITES IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

The steady-state concentrations of cyclosporin G (OG37-325) (CsG) and six of its metabolites (GM1, GM9, GM4N, GM1c, GM1c9, GM19) were measured throughout the 12-h dosing interval in six renal transplant recipients receiving CsG as prophylaxis against acute cellular rejection. The mean 12-h whole-blood trough concentrations (mu g/L) were CsG, 131 +/- 26; GM1, 79 +/- 55; GM9, 110 +/- 114; GM4N, 28 +/- 18; GM1c, 31 +/- 18; GM1c9, 216 +/- 145; and GM19, 303 +/- 217. The relative concentration of the primary metabolites (GM1, GM9, GM4N) remained stable with respect to CsG throughout the dosing interval, whereas that of the secondary metabolites increased. The secondary metabolites GM19 and GM1c9 exhibited extensive between-patient variation. We investigated the effect of these metabolites on commercially available monoclonal antibody-based fluorescence polarization immunoassays (FPIA) and RIAs adapted for measurement of CsG. The 12-h whole-blood trough concentrations measured by FPIA and RIA exceed those measured by HPLC by 19% and 36%, respectively. These measured biases corresponded closely with the calculated biases (FPIA 19%, RIA 28%) based on the known cross-reactivities of CsG metabolites and their concentrations. These results suggest that cross-reactivity with metabolites account for a large part of the bias observed in immunoassays of CsG.