Quantitation of ibuprofen in blood using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

Ibuprofen is a non-narcotic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for the treatment of pain, fever, and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. It is also used for induction of closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in neonates. Although the exact mechanism of action of ibuprofen is not known, it is believed to mediate its therapeutic effects through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase and subsequently by the inhibition of prostacyclin production. As the drug has a number of side effects, which correlate to its circulating concentration, monitoring of ibuprofen in plasma or serum is desired for patients receiving high-dose therapy. Chromatographic methods are frequently used for the assay of ibuprofen, as no immunoassays are currently available.In the method described, the drug is extracted from the serum or plasma using methylene chloride and phosphate buffer (pH 6). Meclofenamic acid is used as an internal standard. The organic phase containing the drug is separated and dried under stream of nitrogen. After trimethylsilyl derivatization, analysis is done using gas-chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Quantification of the drug in a sample is achieved by comparing responses of the unknown sample to the responses of the calibrators using selected ion monitoring.