Evaluation of a rapid ultrafiltration technique for determination of quinidine protein binding and comparison with equilibrium dialysis.

The free level ultrafiltration (UF) assay by the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) for determination of unbound quinidine concentration in serum (Qf) was evaluated in 50 samples obtained from cardiac patients treated with quinidine for ventricular arrhythmias. Equilibrium dialysis (ED) at 37 degrees C and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) served as standard methods for comparison. A good agreement was found between EMIT and HPLC at the low range of free quinidine concentration (0.1-0.7 mg/L) observed in our patients (r = 0.959). Although the correlation between UF and ED was high (r = 0.972), Qf was systematically underestimated by UF. This bias was due to the fact that UF was performed according to the recommendations of the manufacturer at 25 degrees C. No systematic differences were found when 20 additional samples were assayed by the two methods at the same temperature (25 degrees C; r = 0.992). The quinidine binding ratio showed a correlation with the serum concentration of alpha 1-acid-glycoprotein (r = 0.61). The metabolites 3(S)-hydroxyquinidine and quinidine-N-oxide did not influence the protein binding of the parent drug. The importance of adjusting the serum pH to physiological values before measurement of Qf was confirmed in this study. Our results show that, if performed under the same conditions, ED and UF yield practically identical values. Because of easy handling, the EMIT Free Level System II should be applicable under clinical conditions.