Effects of temperature and endogenous factors in blood on concentrations of cyclosporin in plasma measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The effects of temperature, hematocrit (Hct), lipid level in plasma and cyclosporin A (CyA) level in whole blood on the concentration of CyA in plasma measured by high-performance liquid chromatography were studied in vitro. With rise in blood storage temperature before cells were removed, the concentration of CyA in plasma was increased in the temperature range between 10 degrees C and 37 degrees C, but was decreased between 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C. With rise in Hct, the concentration of CyA in plasma was decreased, and it was more markedly decreased at the blood storage temperature of 4 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. A lipid supplementation study showed that the concentration of CyA in plasma was increased with rise in plasma triglyceride level and in plasma cholesterol level at the storage temperature of 4 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C. Studies of the effect of CyA concentration in blood on the CyA distribution in blood demonstrated that the cellular/plasma concentration (C/P) ratio at low levels (less than 200 micrograms/ml) of plasma CyA ranged from 4 to 10 and was about 2 times higher than that at higher concentrations at 4 degrees C, but the ratio was relatively constant at 37 degrees C. The saturation capacity of the cellular fraction for CyA showed considerable individual variations, but there was no difference between the capacities at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The separation of plasma after equilibration at 37 degrees C made it possible to avoid the variations in the distribution of CyA in whole blood associated with changes in Hct, lipid level in plasma and CyA level in whole blood, and to obtain a measurement reflecting the physiologically significant concentration of CyA in plasma.