Sample cleanup-free determination of mycophenolic acid and its glucuronide in serum and plasma using the novel technology of ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is an immunosuppressant drug which powerfully inhibits lymphocyte proliferation. Since the early 1990s it has been used to prevent rejection in organ transplantation. The requirement of therapeutic drug monitoring shown in previous studies raises the necessity of acquiring accurate and sensitive methods to measure MPA and its major metabolite mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG).The authors developed a sample cleanup-free, rapid, and highly specific method for simultaneous measurement of MPA and MPAG in human plasma and serum using the novel technology of ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. MPA- and MPAG-determinations were performed during a 2.0-min run time. Multiple calibration curves for the analysis of MPA and MPAG exhibited consistent linearity and reproducibility in the range of 0.05–100 (r > 0.999) mg L−1 and 4–4000 mg L−1 (r > 0.999), respectively. Limits of Detection were 0.014 mg L−1 for MPA and 1.85 mg L−1 for MPAG. Lower Limits of Quantification were 0.05 mg L−1 for MPA and 2.30 mg L−1 for MPAG. Interassay imprecision was <10% for both substances. Mean recovery was 103.6% (range 78.1–129.7%) for MPA and 111.1% (range 73.0–139.6%) for MPAG. Agreement was good for MPA and MPAG between the presented method and a validated HPLC-MS/MS method. The Passing-Bablok regression line for MPA and MPAG was HPLC-MS/MS = 1.14 UPLC-MS/MS—0.14 [mg L−1], r = 0.96, and HPLC-MS/MS = 0.77 UPLC-MS/MS + 0.50 [mg L−1], r = 0.97, respectively. This sample cleanup-free and robust LC-MS/MS assay facilitates the rapid, accurate and simultaneous determination of MPA and MPAG in human body fluids.