Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41575922›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2026

Pharmacokinetics of Dolutegravir, nucleoside analogues, and intracellular metabolites using plasma separation cards: A comparative analysis with traditional sampling methods in healthy volunteers.

Beth Thompson, Laura J Else, Laura Dickinson, Stacey Edick, Ashley Zyhowski, Ken Ho, Leslie Meyn, Sujan Dilly-Penchala, Victoria Shaw, Ian McGowan and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04302896 (APT-POCT-01), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

NCT04302896 early_phase1completednot on this map

APT-POCT-01: An Open Label, Pharmacokinetic Study of Plasma/Urine/Salivary Drug Concentrations Over Fourteen Days Following Drug Intake Cessation, In HIV-Uninfected Healthy Volunteers Dosing to Steady-state to Further Development of Point of Care Diagnostic Testing

TypeinterventionalSponsorRhonda BrandRan2020 to 2021Enrolled30ConditionsMedication Adherence, HIVArmsdolutegravir oral tablet 50mg, emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide oral tablet 200mg/25mg, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate oral tablet 300mg, lamivudine oral tablet 300mg
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Beth ThompsonCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2467-1935
Laura J ElseCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Laura DickinsonCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Stacey EdickUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States of America.
Ashley ZyhowskiMagee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States of America.
Ken HoUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States of America.
Leslie MeynUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States of America.
Sujan Dilly-PenchalaCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Victoria ShawCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Ian McGowanSynklino A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Saye KhooCentre for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Rhonda M BrandUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAdherence to antiretroviral therapy is essential for achieving viral suppression. Plasma separation cards (HemaSep; HS-DBS) provide advantages for pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis and adherence monitoring, including simplified sample collection. This study compared the PK of dolutegravir (DTG), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and their intracellular metabolites in the dried plasma and cellular fractions of HS-DBS against the appropriate gold-standard matrices: liquid plasma for parent drugs and Whatman DBS (WM-DBS) for NRTI metabolites.

methodsThe APT-POCT-01 clinical trial (NCT04302896) is an open-label study assessing drug concentrations following cessation in healthy volunteers. Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive DTG/FTC/TAF or DTG/3TC/TDF for 15 days. Paired liquid plasma (L-pL), HS-DBS, and WM-DBS samples were collected on Day 15 and following treatment cessation (0-336 hours post-final dose).

results29 individuals were included in the PK analysis (15-TDF/14-TAF). Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) was quantifiable up to 14 days post-cessation in HS-DBS (TAF/TDF) and WM-DBS (TDF) (HS-DBS t½ > 17 days, WM-DBS t½ = 15 days). 3TC-TP and FTC-TP were eliminated more rapidly. Nucleoside di/triphosphate concentrations were 3-7-fold higher, with prolonged half-lives (TFV-DP, FTC-TP), compared with WM-DBS. TFV-DP levels were ~12-fold higher with TDF compared to TAF. For NRTI and DTG, HS-plasma resulted in 1.8-fold higher exposures compared to L-pL. Measurable HS-DBS concentrations were correlated with L-pL and WM-DBS, with Bland-Altman analysis indicating agreement between methods.

conclusionsThis study provides important insights into the elimination kinetics of NRTI, their intracellular metabolites and DTG. Plasma separation cards are a promising alternative for adherence monitoring, enabling simultaneous quantification of parent and intracellular moieties from a single sample. Differences in TFV-DP levels between TDF and TAF regimens, and DBS sampling method, underscore the need for matrix and regimen-specific interpretation to validate adherence benchmarks.

Indexed as

Anti-HIV AgentsHeterocyclic Compounds, 3-RingNucleosidesReverse Transcriptase InhibitorsAdultDried Blood Spot TestingFemaleHealthy VolunteersHumansMaleMiddle AgedOxazinesPiperazinesPyridonesTenofovirYoung AdultAnti-HIV AgentsHeterocyclic Compounds, 3-RingNucleosidesOxazinesPiperazinesPyridonesReverse Transcriptase InhibitorsTenofovir

Identifiers

PMID41575922
PMCPMC12829806

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.