Researchers Developed New Test Method for Safer Dosing of Hydroxychloroquine

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Researchers at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital have actually established a brand-new technique to determine levels of the medication hydroxychloroquine in clients with the rheumatic illness systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The analysis technique might likewise work in other locations, such as in the treatment of COVID-19. The research study is being released in Arthritis Research and Therapy.

Hydroxychloroquine was initially utilized to deal with malaria however has actually likewise shown efficient with SLE and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Today it is suggested to all SLE clients considering that it safeguards versus flares of the illness. Tests are now being carried out to see if it can likewise be utilized to deal with COVID-19.

A downside of hydroxychloroquine is its adverse effects which can be prevented, nevertheless, if the dose is changed for each client.

To accomplish the protective result versus flares in SLE while likewise lessening the danger of adverse effects, Uppsala scientists have actually now established an approach that can be utilized in the treatment system to determine hydroxychloroquine levels in the blood of SLE clients. The technique is based upon high-resolution mass spectrometry and has actually been utilized at Uppsala University Hospital considering that December 2019.

First, the scientists went through readily available information on hydroxychloroquine measurements. They saw that arise from measurements on entire blood, plasma and serum were not equivalent with each other.

“It was shown that there were major differences between different reports, and there seemed to be very large individual differences,” states Kim Kultima, Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Sciences at Uppsala University and likewise active at Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology at Uppsala University Hospital.

For this factor, his research study group carried out a research study together with the research study group in rheumatology that compared the levels of hydroxychloroquine in plasma, serum and entire blood in SLE clients. They concluded that the levels in entire blood had to do with two times as high as in serum and plasma. Whole blood analyses were likewise the most reliable.

“One striking result, and a very important insight, was that levels in whole blood for patients prescribed the same dosage could differ by up to 15 times between individuals. This indicates a large individual variation in how the medication is metabolized.”

One issue mentioned by the research study is that the services for electronic details on medical items in Sweden (FASS) offers concentrations of hydroxychloroquine in plasma. The scientists judge that these worths offer an unreliable and unsuitable image for keeping track of medication levels in clients.

“We also have to be very careful about drawing hasty conclusions about whether hydroxychloroquine is effective with COVID-19. What we know today is that the analysis method will hopefully lead to better data for providing the right dosages to SLE patients who are prescribed the medication.”

In partnership with medical professionals at the Infectious Disease Clinic and within extensive care at Uppsala University Hospital, there are strategies and preparations in location to be able to determine the levels of the medication in the blood of COVID-19 clients if the compound shows efficient.

Reference: “Measurement of hydroxychloroquine in blood from SLE patients using LC-HRMS—evaluation of whole blood, plasma, and serum as sample matrices” by Henrik Carlsson, Karin Hjorton, Sandy Abujrais, Lars Rönnblom, Torbjörn Åkerfeldt and Kim Kultima, 1 June 2020, Arthritis Research and Therapy.
DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02211-1