A simple and rapid pre-confirmation method to distinguish endogenous human haemoglobin from synthetic haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers in doping control

Detection of Homologous Blood Transfusion in Sport Doping by Flow Cytofluorimetry: State of the Art and New Approaches to Reduce the Risk of False-Negative Results

This article presents the results of a study aimed to give new suggestions and strategies for improving the implementation of the flow cytofluorimetry-based method for the detection of homologous blood transfusions in doping control. The method is based on the recognition of the phenotypic mismatch between minority blood group antigens possessed by the donor and the recipient. Two strategies have been followed to reduce the risk of false-negative results: (i) the monitoring of a broader range of erythrocytes surface antigens; and (ii) the application of different surface erythrocyte staining protocols, tailored on the different antigens and the type of antigenic mismatch that had to be detected (whether it is the donor or the recipient who expresses or not the antigen to be detected). Special attention has also been focused on the time factor, to avoid prolonged sample storage, since hemolysis may have a significant impact on the reliability and quality of the results. Our experimental evidence suggests that the risk of false-negative results can be minimized by (i) the expansion of the antigen panel, with the inclusion of four additional targets; (ii) a more accurate selection of the gating area of the red blood cells; (iii) the choice of a better fluorochrome (alexa fluor 488) to be conjugated to the secondary antibody; and (iv) the implementation of different staining protocols depending on the nature of the double population to be detected (donor expressing vs. recipient non-expressing and vice versa). The combination of the above approaches allowed a significant reduction of false-negative results, assessed on samples simulating a homologous blood transfusion between two compatible subjects.

Application of HBOCs electrophoretic method to detect a new blood substitute derived from the giant extracellular haemoglobin of lugworm

Manipulation of blood and blood components is prohibited in sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This includes the use of blood substitutes to increase oxygen transport, like haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), which are compounds derived from haemoglobin. Despite their medical interest, the first generation of HBOCs had serious adverse effects and was abandoned. However, new studies are now exploiting the properties of marine worm haemoglobins, which circulate as giant extracellular complexes with high oxygen-binding capacities. HEMOXYCarrier® (HC), developed by Hemarina, is one of the most advanced and promising HBOCs, and HC may become a tempting doping tool for athletes in the future. Here, HC detection in plasma/serum was evaluated with the method used to detect the first HBOCs, based on electrophoresis and heme peroxidase properties. An HC-derived product was identified in human plasma up to 72 h after in vitro incubation at 37 °C. HC degradation also induced methemalbumin formation. After injecting HC at the effective dose of 200 mg/kg into mice, the HC-derived product was detected only for a few hours and no accumulation of methemalbumin was observed. Due to this limited detection window in vivo, measuring specific worm globin degradation products by mass spectrometry might be an alternative for future anti-doping analyses. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.