[Development of a specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for vindesine]

This paper reports a specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for pharmacokinetic studies of vindesine (VDS). Anti-VDS antibody was obtained by immunizing rabbits with VDS conjugated with bovine serum albumin using N-[β-(4-diazophenyl) ethyl] maleimide as a heterobifunctional coupling agent. An enzyme marker was similarly prepared by coupling VDS with horseradish peroxidase using N-(4-diazophenyl) maleimide. The detection limit of VDS by ELISA was approximately 24 pg/mL with 50-mL samples. This assay was specific for VDS and showed very slight cross-reactivity with other vinca alkaloids, vincristine (0.18%) and vinblastine (0.11%). The values for the VDS concentrations detected using this assay were comparable with those detected using HPLC. There was a good correlation between the values determined by the two methods. Moreover, ELISA was about 50-fold more sensitive in detecting VDS at lower concentrations. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA should provide a useful tool for pharmacokinetic studies of VDS.