Vancomycin: a rapid HPLC assay for a potent antibiotic

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Vancomycin is a critical antibiotic for treating gram-positive bacterial infections, including septicemia.
• Elevated vancomycin serum concentrations (≥ 80 µg/mL) are associated with ototoxicity, necessitating therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Existing assays may lack the speed, sensitivity, or sample volume efficiency required for routine clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a rapid, sensitive, and precise analytical method for quantifying vancomycin in human serum.
• To establish an assay suitable for monitoring vancomycin levels within both therapeutic and potentially toxic ranges.

Main Methods:

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet (UV) detection was employed.
• The assay requires a minimal serum sample volume of 100 µL.
• Method validation focused on linearity, precision, and accuracy across a wide concentration range.

Main Results:

• The developed HPLC-UV assay demonstrated excellent linearity, indicating a proportional response to vancomycin concentration.
• High precision was achieved, ensuring reliable and reproducible measurements.
• The assay effectively covered the therapeutic and toxic ranges of vancomycin serum levels.

Conclusions:

• A rapid and sensitive HPLC-UV assay for vancomycin in serum has been successfully developed.
• This method provides accurate quantification of vancomycin, facilitating therapeutic drug monitoring.
• The assay's performance supports its clinical utility in preventing vancomycin-induced ototoxicity.