Identification and quantification of tamoxifen and four metabolites in serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

J Chromatogr A. 2005 Jul 29;1082(1):6-14. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2005.01.004.

Abstract

We have developed a method for the determination of tamoxifen (tam) and its metabolites 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHtam), N-demethyltamoxifen (NDtam), N-dedimethyltamoxifen (NDDtam), tamoxifen-N-oxide (tamNox), and 4-hydroxy-N-demethyltamoxifen (4OHNDtam) in 50 microl human serum. Serum proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile. Deuterated-tamoxifen (D5 tam) was added as internal standard. Sample supernatant was injected into an on-line reversed-phase extraction column coupled with a C18 analytical column and analytes were detected by tandem mass spectrometry. The lower limits of quantification were 0.25 ng/mL for 4OHtam, NDtam and tam, 1.0 ng/mL for NDDtam and tamNox. Ranges of within- and between-day variation were 2.9-15.4% and 4.4-12.9%, respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Chemical Fractionation / methods
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tamoxifen / analogs & derivatives
  • Tamoxifen / blood*
  • Tamoxifen / metabolism
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Tamoxifen
  • afimoxifene
  • tamoxifen N-oxide
  • N-desmethyltamoxifen