Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Methotrexate in Brazilian Pediatric Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

• Published in: Pharmaceutical research 2023-07, Vol.40 (7), p.1777-1787
• Main Authors: de Oliveira Henz, Pricilla, Pinhatti, Amanda Valle, Gregianin, Lauro José, Martins, Manoela, Curra, Marina, de Araújo, Bibiana Verlindo, Dalla Costa, Teresa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Acute lymphocytic leukemia; Analysis; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Body size; Brazil; Child; Children; Chromosomes; Creatinine; Drug metabolism; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Kinetics; Leukemia; Lymphatic leukemia; Medical Law; Methotrexate; Methotrexate - pharmacokinetics; Methotrexate - therapeutic use; Original Research Article; Patients; Pediatrics; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Physiological aspects; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - drug therapy; Renal function; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Urea
• ISSN: 0724-8741; 1573-904X; 1573-904X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03544-7

Objectives Methotrexate (MTX) is subject to therapeutic drug monitoring because of its high pharmacokinetic variability and safety risk outside the therapeutic window. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic model (popPK) of MTX for Brazilian pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients who attended the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. Methods The model was developed using NONMEM 7.4 (Icon®), ADVAN3 TRANS4, and FOCE-I. To explain inter-individual variability, we evaluated covariates from demographic, biochemical, and genetic data (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] related to the transport and metabolism of drugs). Results A two-compartment model was built using 483 data points from 45 patients (0.33–17.83 years of age) treated with MTX (0.25–5 g/m 2 ) in different cycles. Serum creatinine (SCR), height (HT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and a low BMI stratification (according to the z-score defined by the World Health Organization [LowBMI]) were added as clearance covariates. The final model described MTX clearance as C L ( L / h ) = 8.02 x SCR Median SCR - 0.401 x HT Median HT 0.957 x BUN Median BUN - 0.181 x 1 - 0.266 LowBMI . In the two-compartment structural model, the central and peripheral compartment volumes were 26.8 L and 8.47 L, respectively, and the inter-compartmental clearance was 0.218 L/h. External validation of the model was performed through a visual predictive test and metrics using data from 15 other pediatric ALL patients. Conclusion The first popPK model of MTX was developed for Brazilian pediatric ALL patients, which showed that inter-individual variability was explained by renal function and factors related to body size.