Comparative evaluation of five tacrolimus assays in transplant recipients: implications for optimizing therapeutic drug monitoring.

ABSTRACT: Tacrolimus is a widely used immunosuppressive therapy in transplant recipients, but its narrow therapeutic index necessitates accurate monitoring. Tacrolimus levels can be quantified using immunoassays (IAs) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), however, differences between these methods may influence clinical decision-making. In this study, we compared two IAs, i.e., chemiluminescent (CMIA) and electrochemiluminescent (ECLIA), with three LC-MS/MS assays in 181 clinical specimens. When compared with the overall mean concentration, all five assays showed strong correlations, though with variability across methods: three LC-MS/MS assays demonstrated correlation coefficients of 0.9927, 0.9612, and 0.9920, while two immunoassays yielded coefficients of 0.9938 and 0.985

SUBMITTER: SahBandar IN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12702874 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature