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A highly sensitive flow injection fluorometry for the determination of albumin was developed and applied to the determination of albumin in human bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF). This method is based on binding of chromazurol S (CAS) to albumin. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 5-200 microg/ml of albumin. A highly linear correlation (r=0.986) was observed between the albumin level in BALF samples (n=25) determined by the proposed method and by a conventional fluorometric method using CAS (CAS manual method). The IgG interference was lower in the CAS flow injection method than in the CAS manual method. The albumin level in BALF collected from healthy volunteers (n=10) was 58.5+/-13.1 microg/ml. The albumin levels in BALF samples obtained from patients with sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were increased. This finding shows that the determination of albumin levels in BALF samples is useful for investigating lung diseases and that CAS flow injection method is promising in the determination of trace albumin in BALF samples, because it is sensitive and precise.

A fluorimetric method using eriochrome cyanine R (ECR) was applied to determine trace amounts of albumin in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The ECR-albumin adduct showed intense fluorescence and the calibration curve was linear in the range of 2.5-100 microg/ml of human serum albumin (r=0.999). The sensitivity was high enough to determine trace amounts of albumin in BALF. In the present study, the results obtained by the ECR method were compared with those of an EIA, and a good linear correlation was observed between the two methods (r=0.946). The ECR method is simpler and more rapid than EIA. The concentrations of albumin in BALF samples were determined by the ECR method. The albumin level in BALF of healthy nonsmokers (n=9) was lower than that of healthy smokers (n=9) (42.9+/-20.7 and 48.3+/-15.7 microg/ml, respectively). On the other hand, the albumin level of BALF samples obtained from patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis was increased versus in healthy subjects. The determination of albumin in BALF samples by the ECR method is useful for investigating lung diseases.

The protein binding rates (PBR) of platinum‐containing agents cisplatin (CDDP), carboplatin (CBDCA) and oxaliplatin (L‐OHP) have been reported as 98%, 25–50% and 98%, respectively. To investigate the protein‐binding properties of albumin with cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) was used to measure their plasma concentration in rats over time. The study also examined the effects of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin‐binding on albumin in vitro, using CD spectrometry and native‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native PAGE). The ratios of PBR to irreversible PBR, of cisplatin and oxaliplatin were 98%:98% and 90%:87%, respectively, indicating a higher affinity for irreversible binding with albumin. That of carboplatin was 25%:10%, indicating 60–70% reversible binding with albumin. The plasma protein binding rate concentrations of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin after in vivo administration were 96%, 15% and 80%, respectively. The CD spectrometry of albumin was unaffected by cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin binding. Though similar protein binding rates were observed with oxaliplatin and cisplatin, oxaliplatin had a higher mobility rate during PAGE. It was confirmed that the binding of cisplatin and oxaliplatin with albumin affected its electric charge but not the structure. In conclusion, cisplatin and oxaliplatin bind irreversibly with albumin in plasma and may irreversibly interact with tissue protein and/or DNA. The difficulties involved with predicting the tissue concentrations of cisplatin and oxaliplatin from their plasma concentration inhibits their therapeutic drug monitoring. On the contrary, carboplatin, like some generic drugs, reversibly binds to plasma proteins. It is, therefore, possible to conduct therapeutic drug monitoring for carboplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]