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Karila D, Kerlan V, Christin-Maitre S. Androgenic steroid excess in women. ANNALES D'ENDOCRINOLOGIE 2024; 85:142-149. [PMID: 38040089 DOI: 10.1016/j.ando.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Excessive use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) in sport occurs among professional athletes but increasingly also in amateurs. Prevalence of steroid use has been on the rise for a number of years. While the practice involves mostly men, it also occurs in women with an estimated prevalence of 1.6%. Since 2014, a 'steroid passport' has operated for sports people in competition that is based on longitudinal urinary and blood steroid levels, measured by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Androgen excess stimulates muscle growth and improves muscle performance. However, their consumption carries numerous side effects, including myocardial hypertrophy; altered lipid metabolism and pro-thrombotic effects. The excess of AAS is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. Data for their effects in women is lacking. Perturbations of the menstrual cycle are common in female athletes, with spaniomenorrhea and even amenorrhea. This can be a consequence of gonadotropin insufficiency due to negative caloric balance, but may also be due to endogenous or exogenous hyperandrogenism. The use of AAS is probably underestimated as a public health issue, particularly in women, and thus presents a prevention challenge for healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphné Karila
- Service d'endocrinologie, diabétologie et médecine de la reproduction, hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75012 Paris, France; Sorbonne université, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Véronique Kerlan
- Service d'endocrinologie, hôpital de Brest, université de Bretagne-Occidentale, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Sophie Christin-Maitre
- Service d'endocrinologie, diabétologie et médecine de la reproduction, hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75012 Paris, France; Sorbonne université, 75006 Paris, France
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2
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Equey T, Salamin O, Ponzetto F, Nicoli R, Kuuranne T, Saugy J, Saugy M, Aikin R, Baume N. Longitudinal Profiling of Endogenous Steroids in Blood Using the Athlete Biological Passport Approach. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:1937-1946. [PMID: 36794909 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Detection of endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids (EAAS), like testosterone (T), as doping agents has been improved with the launch of the Steroidal Module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) in urine samples. OBJECTIVE To target doping practices with EAAS, particularly in individuals with low level of biomarkers excreted in urine, by including new target compounds measured in blood. DESIGN T and T/androstenedione (T/A4) distributions were obtained from 4 years of anti-doping data and applied as priors to analyze individual profiles from 2 T administration studies in female and male subjects. SETTING Anti-doping laboratory. Elite athletes (n = 823) and male and female clinical trials subjects (n = 19 and 14, respectively). INTERVENTION(S) Two open-label administration studies were carried out. One involved a control phase period followed by patch and then oral T administration in male volunteers and the other followed female volunteers during 3 menstrual cycles with 28 days of daily transdermal T application during the second month. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Serum samples were analyzed for T and A4 and the performance of a longitudinal ABP-based approach was evaluated for T and T/A4. RESULTS An ABP-based approach set at a 99% specificity flagged all female subjects during the transdermal T application period and 44% of subjects 3 days after the treatment. T showed the best sensitivity (74%) in response to transdermal T application in males. CONCLUSIONS Inclusion of T and T/A4 as markers in the Steroidal Module can improve the performance of the ABP to identify T transdermal application, particularly in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Equey
- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Montreal, Quebec H4Z 1B7, Canada
| | - Olivier Salamin
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Genève and Lausanne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Federico Ponzetto
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, City of Health and Science University Hospital, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Raul Nicoli
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Genève and Lausanne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Tiia Kuuranne
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Genève and Lausanne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Saugy
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martial Saugy
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Reid Aikin
- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Montreal, Quebec H4Z 1B7, Canada
| | - Norbert Baume
- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Montreal, Quebec H4Z 1B7, Canada
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3
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Moreillon B, Salamin O, Krumm B, Iannella L, Molaioni F, Kuuranne T, Nicoli R, Saugy JJ, Botrè F, Faiss R. Variability of the urinary and blood steroid profiles in healthy and physically active women with and without oral contraception. Drug Test Anal 2023; 15:324-333. [PMID: 36414566 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The steroidal module of the athlete biological passport (ABP) targets the use of pseudo-endogenous androgenous anabolic steroids in elite sport by monitoring urinary steroid profiles. Urine and blood samples were collected weekly during two consecutive oral contraceptive pill (OCP) cycles in 15 physically active women to investigate the low urinary steroid concentrations and putative confounding effect of OCP. In urine, testosterone (T) and epitestosterone (E) were below the limit of quantification of 1 ng/ml in 62% of the samples. Biomarkers' variability ranged between 31% and 41%, with a significantly lesser variability for ratios (except for T/E [41%]): 20% for androsterone/etiocholanolone (p < 0.001) and 25% for 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol/5ß-androstane-3α,17β-diol (p < 0.001). In serum, markers' variability (testosterone: 24%, androstenedione: 23%, dihydrotestosterone: 19%, and T/A4: 16%) was significantly lower than in urine (p < 0.001). Urinary A/Etio increased by >18% after the first 2 weeks (p < 0.05) following withdrawal blood loss. In contrast, serum T (0.98 nmol/l during the first week) and T/A4 (0.34 the first week) decreased significantly by more than 25% and 17% (p < 0.05), respectively, in the following weeks. Our results outline steroidal variations during the OCP cycle, highlighting exogenous hormonal preparations as confounder for steroid concentrations in blood. Low steroid levels in urine samples have a clear negative impact on the subsequent interpretation of steroid profile of the ABP. With a greater analytical sensitivity and lesser variability for steroids in healthy active women, serum represents a complementary matrix to urine in the ABP steroidal module.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Moreillon
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Salamin
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bastien Krumm
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Loredana Iannella
- Laboratorio Antidoping, Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Molaioni
- Laboratorio Antidoping, Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiia Kuuranne
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raul Nicoli
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonas J Saugy
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Botrè
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratorio Antidoping, Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - Raphael Faiss
- Research and Expertise in anti-Doping Sciences (REDs), Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Eklund E, Andersson A, Ekström L, Hirschberg AL. Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls. Front Physiol 2021; 12:702305. [PMID: 34526910 PMCID: PMC8435769 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.702305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction In female athletes, the interpretation of doping tests is complex due to hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use, both influencing the urinary steroid profile. Exercise is suggested to affect circulating steroid hormone levels, and in women, the urinary steroid profile differs between in competition testing and out of competition testing. No previous study has investigated the relationship between amount of exercise and the urinary steroid profile in female elite athletes. Purpose To compare the urinary steroid profile between female Olympic athletes and age- and BMI-matched untrained controls, and to study the urinary steroid profile in relation to serum hormones and amount of exercise. Methods In this cross-sectional study conducted at the Women’s Health Research Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 94 female elite athletes and 86 untrained controls were included. Serum estrogens and testosterone and the urinary steroid profile were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Exercise hours/week were evaluated by questionnaire. Results Although serum steroid hormones were comparable between groups, the athletes demonstrated approximately 30% lower urinary steroid metabolites of testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5α-androstan-3α, 17β-diol, and 5β-androstan-3α, 17β-diol compared to the controls. The urinary steroid metabolites correlated positively with serum steroid hormones. In the athletes, urinary steroid metabolites: androsterone (rs = −0.28, p = 0.007), epitestosterone (rs = −0.22, p = 0.034), 5αAdiol (rs = −0.31, p = 0.002) and testosterone (rs = −0.24, p = 0.026), were negatively correlated with amount of training (hours per week). Conclusion The urinary concentrations of steroid metabolites were lower in elite athletes than in sedentary controls, although serum steroids were comparable between groups. Moreover, exercise time was negatively associated with the urinary concentrations. Our findings suggest alternative excretion routes of androgens in the athletes related to training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Eklund
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Andersson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Ekström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Castanier C, Bougault V, Teulier C, Jaffré C, Schiano-Lomoriello S, Vibarel-Rebot N, Villemain A, Rieth N, Le-Scanff C, Buisson C, Collomp K. The Specificities of Elite Female Athletes: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:622. [PMID: 34206866 PMCID: PMC8303304 DOI: 10.3390/life11070622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Female athletes have garnered considerable attention in the last few years as more and more women participate in sports events. However, despite the well-known repercussions of female sex hormones, few studies have investigated the specificities of elite female athletes. In this review, we present the current but still limited data on how normal menstrual phases, altered menstrual phases, and hormonal contraception affect both physical and cognitive performances in these elite athletes. To examine the implicated mechanisms, as well as the potential performances and health risks in this population, we then take a broader multidisciplinary approach and report on the causal/reciprocal relationships between hormonal status and mental and physical health in young (18-40 years) healthy females, both trained and untrained. We thus cover the research on both physiological and psychological variables, as well as on the Athlete Biological Passport used for anti-doping purposes. We consider the fairly frequent discrepancies and summarize the current knowledge in this new field of interest. Last, we conclude with some practical guidelines for eliciting improvements in physical and cognitive performance while minimizing the health risks for female athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Castanier
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | | | - Caroline Teulier
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | | | - Sandrine Schiano-Lomoriello
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Nancy Vibarel-Rebot
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Aude Villemain
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Nathalie Rieth
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Christine Le-Scanff
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Corinne Buisson
- Département des Analyses, AFLD, 92290 Chatenay-Malabry, France;
| | - Katia Collomp
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France; (C.C.); (C.T.); (S.S.-L.); (N.V.-R.); (A.V.); (N.R.); (C.L.-S.)
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
- Département des Analyses, AFLD, 92290 Chatenay-Malabry, France;
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6
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Schulze J, Pettersson-Bohlin K, Thörngren JO, Ekström L. Re-evaluation of combined ((ES/EG)/(TS/TG)) ratio as a marker of testosterone intake in men. Drug Test Anal 2021; 13:1576-1579. [PMID: 33864421 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To detect doping with pseudo-endogenous anabolic steroids in sports, a urinary steroid profile with glucuronidated plus unconjugated androgens is used. In addition to analyze androgen glucuronide metabolites, it can be of interest to also include sulfate metabolites in the urinary steroid profile. The combined ratios of epitestosterone sulfate/epitestosterone glucuronide to the ratios of testosterone sulfate/testosterone glucuronide ((ES/EG)/(TS/TG)) have previously been investigated as a complementary biomarker for testosterone doping. In this restudy, the aim was to evaluate this biomarker in a larger study sample population. A single dose of 500-mg testosterone enanthate was administered to 54 healthy male volunteers. Urine was collected prior to (Day 0) administration and throughout 15 days and analyzed for the sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of testosterone and epitestosterone. The results show that the combined ratio increased to a larger extent than the traditional T/E ratio in all subjects. This increase was independent on UGT2B17 gene polymorphism. Moreover, a delayed peak of the combined ratio was observed in ~60% of the participants. The results confirm that complementary analyses of the sulfate metabolites may be a useful approach to detect testosterone doping in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Schulze
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kim Pettersson-Bohlin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John-Olof Thörngren
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Ekström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Elings Knutsson J, Andersson A, Baekken LV, Pohanka A, Ekström L, Hirschberg AL. Disposition of Urinary and Serum Steroid Metabolites in Response to Testosterone Administration in Healthy Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; 106:697-707. [PMID: 33274381 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Little is known about how exogenous testosterone (T) affects the steroid profile in women. More knowledge would give the antidoping community keys as to how to interpret tests and detect doping. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to investigate the steroid profile in serum and urine in young healthy women after T administration. METHODS In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 48 healthy young women were assigned to daily treatment with T cream (10 mg) or placebo (1:1) for 10 weeks. Urine and blood were collected before and at the end of treatment. Serum steroids were analyzed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and urine levels of T, epitestosterone (E), and metabolites included in the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) were analyzed with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS In serum, T and dihydrotestosterone levels increased, whereas sex hormone-binding globulin and 17-hydroxyprogesterone decreased after T treatment as compared to placebo. In urine, T and 5α-androstanediol increased in the T group. The median T increase in serum was 5.0-fold (range, 1.2-18.2) and correlated to a 2.2-fold (range, 0.4-14.4) median increase in T/E in urine (rs = 0.76). Only 2 of the 24 women receiving T reached the T/E cutoff ratio of 4, whereas when the results were added to the ABP, 6 of 15 participants showed atypically high T/E (40%). In comparison, 22/24 women in the T group increased serum T more than 99.9% of the upper confidence interval of nontreated values. CONCLUSION It seems that the T/E ratio is not sufficient to detect exogenous T in women. Serum total T concentrations could serve as a complementary marker of doping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jona Elings Knutsson
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Andersson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lasse Vestli Baekken
- Nordic Athlete Passport Management Unit, Anti-Doping Norway, Sognsveien, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anton Pohanka
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Ekström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Thevis M, Kuuranne T, Geyer H. Annual banned-substance review: Analytical approaches in human sports drug testing 2019/2020. Drug Test Anal 2020; 13:8-35. [PMID: 33185038 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Analytical chemistry-based research in sports drug testing has been a dynamic endeavor for several decades, with technology-driven innovations continuously contributing to significant improvements in various regards including analytical sensitivity, comprehensiveness of target analytes, differentiation of natural/endogenous substances from structurally identical but synthetically derived compounds, assessment of alternative matrices for doping control purposes, and so forth. The resulting breadth of tools being investigated and developed by anti-doping researchers has allowed to substantially improve anti-doping programs and data interpretation in general. Additionally, these outcomes have been an extremely valuable pledge for routine doping controls during the unprecedented global health crisis that severely affected established sports drug testing strategies. In this edition of the annual banned-substance review, literature on recent developments in anti-doping published between October 2019 and September 2020 is summarized and discussed, particularly focusing on human doping controls and potential applications of new testing strategies to substances and methods of doping specified the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2020 Prohibited List.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Thevis
- Center for Preventive Doping Research - Institute of Biochemistry, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,European Monitoring Center for Emerging Doping Agents, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tiia Kuuranne
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Genève and Lausanne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Hans Geyer
- Center for Preventive Doping Research - Institute of Biochemistry, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,European Monitoring Center for Emerging Doping Agents, Cologne, Germany
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9
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Schulze J, Suominen T, Bergström H, Ericsson M, Björkhem Bergman L, Ekström L. Urinary steroid profile in relation to the menstrual cycle. Drug Test Anal 2020; 13:550-557. [PMID: 33142032 PMCID: PMC7984021 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The interpretation of the steroidal module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) in female athletes is complex due to the large variation of the endogenous urinary steroids. The menstrual cycle seems to be one of the largest confounders of the steroid profile. The duration of the different phases in the menstrual cycle differs between women and is difficult to predict only by counting days after menstruation. Here, we have determined the follicle, ovulation, and luteal phases, by assessing the menstrual hormones in serum samples collected from 17 healthy women with regular menses. Urine samples were collected three times per week during two consecutive cycles to measure the urinary steroid concentrations used in the ABP. The metabolite that was mostly affected by the menstrual phases was epitestosterone (E), where the median concentration was 133% higher in the ovulation phase compared to the follicle phase (p < 0.0001). The women with a large coefficient of variation (CV) in their first cycle also had a large CV in their second cycle and vice versa. The inter-individual difference was extensive with a range of 11%-230% difference between the lowest and the highest T/E ratio during a cycle. In conclusion, E and ratios with E as denominator are problematic biomarkers for doping in female athletes. The timing of the sample collection in the menstrual cycle will have a large influence on the steroid profile. The results of this study highlight the need to find additional biomarkers for T doping in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Schulze
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology C1:68Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Tina Suominen
- Helsinki Doping Control Laboratory, Forensic Toxicology UnitFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)HelsinkiFinland
| | - Helena Bergström
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical GeriatricsKarolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
| | - Magnus Ericsson
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology C1:68Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
- French Doping Control Laboratory, Agence Française de lutte contre le dopage (AFLD) Département des AnalysesFrance
| | - Linda Björkhem Bergman
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical GeriatricsKarolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
| | - Lena Ekström
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology C1:68Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology C1:68Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska HospitalStockholmSweden
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10
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Ericsson M, Bhuiyan H, Yousif B, Lehtihet M, Ekström L. The intra-individual stability of GH biomarkers IGF-I and P-III-NP in relation to GHRH administration, menstrual cycle, and hematological parameters. Drug Test Anal 2020; 12:1620-1628. [PMID: 33125822 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The intra-individual stability of growth hormone (GH) biomarkers IGF-I, P-III-NP, calculated GH-2000 score in relation to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (Somatorelin) administration, menstrual cycle, and hematological parameters were investigated in four men and eight women, respectively. Moreover, the hematological parameters hemoglobin (Hb) and percentage of reticulocyte (RET%) were statistically analyzed in relation to the GH biomarker parameters for the GHRH administration study and the menstrual cycle study. Longitudinal monitoring of IGF-I and/or GH-2000 score proved to be a viable approach to detect the GHRH intake in men, as all four participants show values above individually calculated thresholds (calculated as mean ± 3SD from three baseline samples). The intra-individual variation for IGF-I, P-III-NP, and calculated GH-2000 score in women, over two consecutive menstrual cycles, was investigated and established to be higher (coefficients variations [CVs] between 12% and 186%) than in men (CVs between 3% and 12%). The GHRH administration did not influence the hematological parameters. A strong positive correlation between Hb and IGF-I (Rs = 0.73, p < 0.0001) and a borderline weak correlation between RET% and IGF-I (Rs = 0.28, p = 0.054) were noticed in the women. No correlation for the P-III-NP and the hematological parameters was seen for the females in the menstrual cycle study. The results fortify previous studies that longitudinal monitoring of IGF-I and/or GH-2000 score may be a promising method to detect doping with GH and GH stimulating agents in men, whereas the large intra-individual variation noted in women indicates that longitudinal monitoring of these biomarker may be harder to evaluate in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Ericsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Département des analyses, AFLD, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Hasanuzzaman Bhuiyan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Basam Yousif
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Lehtihet
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Ekström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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