ArticleEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2003
Comparison of lithium concentrations in red blood cells and plasma in samples collected for TDM, acute toxicity, or acute-on-chronic toxicity.
Article in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on Laboratory Monitoring of Lithium Treated Outpatients in the Netherlands: A Controlled Interrupted Time Series Analysis.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2026Article
- Lithium-induced neuroprotection in bipolar disorder: Translational insights into cytoskeletal and proteomic mechanisms.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2025Review
- Advances in Therapeutic Monitoring of Lithium in the Management of Bipolar Disorder.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Population pharmacokinetic modeling of sustained release lithium in the serum, erythrocytes and urine of patients with bipolar disorder.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2019Article
- Bipolar disorder and mechanisms of action of mood stabilizers.Brain research reviews · 2009Review
- Lithium: updated human knowledge using an evidence-based approach. Part II: Clinical pharmacology and therapeutic monitoring.CNS drugs · 2009Review
- Mode of action of mood stabilizers: is the arachidonic acid cascade a common target?Molecular psychiatry · 2008Review
- Lithium induces autophagy by inhibiting inositol monophosphatase.The Journal of cell biology · 2005Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLithium salts (Li+) are still one of the most appropriate treatments in manic-depressive disorders. Since Li+ has a narrow therapeutic index, plasma levels must be closely monitored to verify maintenance pharmacotherapy, to prevent side effects, to evaluate compliance and to avoid increasing rates of relapse. Although it has been reported that Li+ concentrations in red blood cells (RBC) should be a better indicator of brain levels, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of Li+ is not based on its routine assessment.
objectiveThe aim of this retrospective study was to compare Li+ concentrations in RBC and plasma and the calculated ratio (LiR= RBC/plasma concentrations) in the three groups of patients.
methodsDuring the past 3 years, 309 Li+ measures were collected corresponding to 165 patients classified into three subgroups (TDM, acute or acute-on-chronic intoxication). Li+ plasma (Cplasma) and RBC (CRBC) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
resultsResults showed that Li+ concentrations in plasma are significantly correlated to Li+ concentration in RBC (r=0.81, P<0.0001). Although a wide inter- and intra-variability was found, Cplasma, CRBC and LiR were statistically different in the three groups. Compared with TDM, Cplasma was more elevated in cases of acute intoxication whereas Li+ accumulated preferentially in RBC in cases of acute-on-chronic intoxication.
conclusionThis study shows the interest of determining Li+ in RBC and plasma for TDM, and that LiR could be a sensitive marker of intoxication and of Li+ impregnation.
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