An ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method to quantify vancomycin in human serum by minimizing the degradation product and matrix interference

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate a method for better therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin serum concentration. Methods & results: An ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated to minimize the interference of crystalline degradation product and matrix. It was compared with chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (UPLC-UV) in the performance of testing normal, on-dialysis and hemolytic serum samples. For on-dialysis samples, a moderate correlation (r = 0.534) was observed between UPLC-UV and UPLC–MS/MS. In testing hemolytic samples, ten (10/85, 11.8%) samples were overestimated by CMIA method. Conclusion: Vancomycin concentration determined by CMIA, UPLC-UV was more affected by various panels of serum samples than UPLC–MS/MS assay, suggesting that UPLC–MS/MS is a more reliable and promising tool for clinical vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring.