Development and evaluation of a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry assay and its application for the assessment of renal function

In the present study we evaluated two commonly used iodinated contrast agents, iohexol and iodixanol, as potential markers of impaired renal function. A reversed phase LC–MS method has been developed in order to separate and quantify the two substances. The assay was linear between 0.02 and 9.7 μmol/L for iohexol and between 0.4 and 49.3 μmol/L for iodixanol (r2 > 0.998). The recovery during sample preparation ranged from 89.1 to 112.4%. The intra- and inter-assay RSD values were 3.06–13.6% for iohexol and 4.32–12.7% for iodixanol. The validated method was subsequently applied to 17 patients scheduled for angiographic procedure displaying normal and impaired renal function. A mixture of iohexol and iodixanol was intra-arterially injected and their corresponding plasma levels were determined periodically over a 24 h period following administration. The elimination of both contrast agents followed by the LC–MS approach allowed us to discriminate between patients with normal and impaired renal function at 4, 8 and 24 h after administration. Our preliminary results support the predictive value of iohexol and/or iodixanol clearance in a clinical environment to screen and identify patients at risk of developing CIN.