Abstract
Serum levels of amphotericin B (AMPH) following oral administration of large doses were studied in 7 children and 11 adult patients. Serum levels of AMPH were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The detection limit of the method employed in this study was 0.01μg/ml. The coefficients of variation were below 6%. Serum concentration profiles of AMPH after oral administration of 1000mg showed plateaus for 24 hours in the children at steady state. The serum concentrations of AMPH were 0.05-0.15μg/ml after oral administration of 10-50mg/kg at steady state. The serum levels did not correlate with the doses of AMPH, and individual differences were large. Further, the serum levels were not correlated with age. The results of this study may suggest that there are limits to the absorption of AMPH following oral administration of large doses. Administration of large doses of AMPH raised serum levels to about 0.1μg/ml, and these concentrations exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration of Candida albicans. These results suggest that oral administration of large doses of AMPH is clinically effective and safe for the prophylaxis or the treatment of fungal infection in patients.
