Interference in Clinical Laboratory Tests, with Special Regard to the Bilirubin Assay: Effects of a Metabolite of the New Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Inhibitor, Lufironil

During the toxicological examination of the fibrosuppressive agent, Lufironil (INN), in rats a dose-dependent positive reaction for urinary bilirubin was observed. This positive reaction was found in quantitative assays, and when using test strips. The positive reaction for bilirubin in these assay systems was caused by a metabolite of Lufironil. It was not due to drug toxicity, and it was not caused by any endogenous substrate produced under the influence of Lufironil. The compound responsible for this reaction was isolated by HPLC and its structure determined by spectroscopic methods. The structure was confirmed by synthesis, starting from pyridine-2,4-dicarboxylate. The synthesized compound and the compound in urine gave an identical reaction with the test reagent for bilirubin.