High-performance liquid chromatography method for analyzing citalopram and desmethylcitalopram from human serum

This report describes a sensitive and specific method for analyzing a serotonin reuptake blocker, citalopram, and its active metabolite, desmethylcitalopram, in human serum. For high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, samples and standards are prepared with ASPEC automatic sample preparator using 100 mg Bond-Elut C-18 solid-phase extraction columns. The method is an isocratic HPLC method with a mobile phase of acetonitrile:methanol:50 mM dipotassium hydrogenphosphate, pH 4.7 (40:100). Detection is performed with diode array detector at 220 nm and the peak purity analyses at 210 to 365 nm. The intraassay coefficient of variation ranges from 3.7% to 7.3%, and the interassay coefficient of variation ranges from 6.9% to 9.9% at therapeutic drug concentrations. The detection limit is 15 nmol/l. The method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring in a clinical laboratory. A clear correlation, r = 0.72 (y = 0.36x + 17.94), between citalopram and its metabolite levels is observed in routine therapeutic drug monitoring service. A linear correlation between serum concentration and daily dose of citalopram in patient groups is also observed.