HPLC-fluorescence assay for acyclovir in children

A simple, accurate, reliable and sensitive HPLC method was developed and validated for quantitating acyclovir in human plasma. Sample (100 microL) preparation involved addition of guanosine (internal standard) and protein precipitation with 7% perchloric acid and centrifugation. Supernatant (20 microL) was injected onto a C18 HPLC column with a mobile phase of 0.05 m sodium phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (pH 2.35, 992:8, v/v) with 25 microL of 0.4 m tetrabutylammonium hydroxide titrant and fluorescence detection (excitation, 260 nm; emission, 375 nm). Analyte recovery was 101% and the assay response was linear over the acyclovir concentration range of 0.1-20 mg/L. Intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were less than 7%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.033 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. In five paediatric oncology patients administered intravenous acyclovir, concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 43.65 mg/L. This method can be used to measure acyclovir concentrations in paediatric patients.