Measurement of urinary cobalt as its complex with 2-(5-chloro-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the purpose of anti-doping control

Coordination chemistry applied to anti-doping analysis: Cobalt quantification as its diethyldithiocarbamate complex by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry

Cobalt was included on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List in 2015 due to its effect on stimulus of erythropoiesis via stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor. Although it has proven benefits for performance enhancement, the unavailability of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry on routine of the accredited laboratories is a factor that reduces its applicability in anti-doping analysis. Therefore, an analytical method for quantification of urinary cobalt as its diethyldithiocarbamate complex by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Palladium was proposed as internal standard and rhodium as a complexation control. A microwave-assisted acid digestion of the urine samples was essential, not only to eliminate the matrix effect but mainly to avoid the non-specific bond of cobalt to endogenous molecules. A linear method was obtained over the studied range from a negative urine control to a spiked concentration of 25 ng/mL, with an estimated limit of quantification of 2.5 ng/mL, and an adequate combined standard uncertainty of 11.4%. Considering that all reagents are commercially available, the proposed strategy is feasible to be included on routine sample preparation. Monitoring urinary cobalt concentrations globally opens the perspective to support the anti-doping system to define a suitable threshold value and to understand its potential misuse by athletes seeking for performance improvement.

Circulating MicroRNAs as a New Class of Biomarkers of Physiological Reactions of the Organism to the Intake of Dietary Supplements and Drugs

BACKGROUND

The analysis of individual microRNAs (miRNAs) as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for the effective treatment of various diseases has aroused particular interest in the scientific community. The determination of circulating miRNAs makes it possible to assess biological changes associated with nutritional processes, the intake of dietary supplements and drugs, etc. The profile of circulating miRNAs reflects the individual adaptation of the organism to the effect of specific environmental conditions.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to systematize the data and show the importance of circulating miRNAs as new potential biomarkers of the organism's response to the intake of various dietary supplements, drugs, and consider the possibility of their use in doping control.

METHODS

A systematic analysis of scientific publications (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) on the miRNA expression profile in response to the intake of dietary supplements and drugs most often used by athletes, and supposed their role as potential markers in modern doping control was carried out.

RESULTS

The profile of circulating miRNAs is highly dependent on the intake of a particular drug, and, therefore, may be used as a marker of the effects of biologically active supplements and drugs including the substances from the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

CONCLUSION

Monitoring of circulating miRNAs can serve as a high-precision marker for detecting doping abuse in elite sports. However, it is necessary to conduct additional studies on the effect of complex drugs on the profile of circulating miRNAs and individual circulating miRNAs on a particular biological process.

Annual banned-substance review: Analytical approaches in human sports drug testing 2020/2021

Most core areas of anti-doping research exploit and rely on analytical chemistry, applied to studies aiming at further improving the test methods' analytical sensitivity, the assays' comprehensiveness, the interpretation of metabolic profiles and patterns, but also at facilitating the differentiation of natural/endogenous substances from structurally identical but synthetically derived compounds and comprehending the athlete's exposome. Further, a continuously growing number of advantages of complementary matrices such as dried blood spots have been identified and transferred from research to sports drug testing routine applications, with an overall gain of valuable additions to the anti-doping field. In this edition of the annual banned-substance review, literature on recent developments in anti-doping published between October 2020 and September 2021 is summarized and discussed, particularly focusing on human doping controls and potential applications of new testing strategies to substances and methods of doping specified in the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2021 Prohibited List.

Value of amniotic fluid homocysteine assay in prenatal diagnosis of combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria, cobalamin C type

BACKGROUND

Combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria, cobalamin C type (cblC defect) is the most common inborn error of cobalamin metabolism, and different approaches have been applied to its prenatal diagnosis. To evaluate the reliability of biochemical method for the prenatal diagnosis of cblC defect, we conducted a retrospective study of our 10-year experience at a single center.

METHODS

248 pregnancies whose probands were diagnosed as cblC defect were referred to our center for prenatal diagnosis from January 2010 to December 2019. Prenatal data of Hcy levels determined by enzymatic cycling assay, acylcarnitine analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, organic acid analysis using gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and genetic analysis by direct sequencing of 248 at-risk fetuses were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

For 2.0 and 16.0 μmol/L levels of Hcy AF samples, the relative errors were - 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively. The respective measurement uncertainties were 13.07% and 14.20%. For the 248 at-risk fetuses, 63 fetuses were affected and 185 fetuses were unaffected. Hcy level of 13.20 (6.62-43.30) μmol/L in 63 affected fetuses was significantly higher than that in 185 unaffected fetuses of 2.70 (0.00-5.80) μmol/L, and there was no overlap between the affected and unaffected groups. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of Hcy were 100% and 92.05%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of the combination of Hcy, propionylcarnitine (C3), ratio of C3 to acetylcarnitine (C2; C3/C2), methylmalonic acid (MMA), and methylcitric acid (MCA) were both 100%. Sixteen fetuses displayed inconclusive genetic results of MMACHC variants, in which seven fetuses were determined to be affected with elevated levels of Hcy, C3, C3/C2 and MMA, and their levels were 18.50 (6.70-43.30) μmol/L, 8.53(5.02-11.91) μmol/L, 0.77 (0.52-0.97), 8.96 (6.55-40.32) mmol/mol Cr, respectively. The remaining nine fetuses were considered unaffected based on a normal amniotic fluid metabolite profile.

CONCLUSIONS

Hcy appears to be another characteristic biomarker for the prenatal diagnosis of cblC defect. The combination of Hcy assay with acylcarnitine and organic acid analysis is a fast, sensitive, and reliable prenatal diagnostic biochemical approach. This approach could overcome the challenge of the lack of genetic analysis for families with at-risk cblC defect fetuses.