[Measuring cyclosporine levels in whole blood in kidney transplantation].

BACKGROUND

Cyclosporin A is a potent immunosuppressive drug effective in combatting rejection following organ transplantation. In na effort to replace a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for whole blood determination of cyclosporine (Cya) we compared RIA with fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIAm).

METHOD: 65 blood samples were analysed from kidney transplanted patients. The samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA as anticoagulant and analysed by RIA and FPIAm.

RESULTS

The statistical analysis revealed a difference between both methods (p < 0.05). The linear-regression comparison of Cya concentration measured by RIA and FPIAm showed the following relationship: Cya(FPIAm) = 1.06 x Cya(RIA) + 5.8 (r = 0.9817).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that FPIAm provides na alternative method for measuring cyclosporine in whole blood with the added advantages of being reasonably rapid, precise and easy to perform.