Simultaneous monitoring of seven antiepileptic drugs by dried blood spot and dried plasma spot sampling: method validation and clinical application of a LC–MS/MS-based technique

Alternative blood sampling strategy can enhance the application of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), then improve precision therapy and medication compliance. In developing nations, alternative sampling strategy that allows self-sampling and room temperature transport is especially important. This study validates the use of dried blood spot (DBS) and dried plasma spot (DPS) sampling along with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) for analyzing seven common antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (phenytoin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, topiramate, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and its active metabolite 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy carbamazepine) and evaluates their applicability to clinical practice. Following simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile, the AEDs were separated on a C18 column by gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–water–0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.65mL/min. The method provided linear analysis over the tested concentration ranges, with a total run time of 7min. Intra- and inter-assay precision for all quality controls were ≤12% with accuracies of 85.9%–113%. The average extraction efficiencies were 69.0%–92.4% for DBS and 65.9%–96.5% for DPS, and no significant matrix effects were observed. The AEDs were stable in all samples for seven days at room temprature and 40°C. There was good correlation between the dry and wet plasma concentrations with greater accuracy for DPS compared to DBS indicating that alternative sampling strategy using DBS and DPS are suitable for monitoring the concentrations of AEDs with satisfied performance and logistical advantages.