Endogenous steroid hormones in hair: Investigations on different hair types, pigmentation effects and correlation to nails

Drug Testing and Analysis

Raul

2021

Since the late 90s, hair testing for anabolic steroids in humans has found numerous forensic, clinical, and anti-doping applications. In most cases, analyses were performed on head hair, collected in the vertex regions. However, for various reasons (shaved subject, bald subject, religious belief, cosmetic treatment and aesthetic reason), hair collectors can face the lack of head hair, and therefore, body hair can be the unique alternative choice. Although there is no possibility to perform segmental analyses with body hair, their use has two major advantages: (1) In most cases, anabolic steroids are more concentrated in body hair when compared with head hair, which allows detecting abuse at lower frequency and for lower dosages; and (2) the window of drug detection is generally much longer in body hair when compared with head hair, particularly in male athlete presenting short head hair. To document the relevance of simultaneous collection of head and body hair, the authors present eight authentic cases of anabolic steroids abuse, including clostebol (one case), drostanolone (one case), metandienone (one case), 19-norandrostenedione (one case), stanozolol (two cases) and trenbolone (three cases). In all cases, body hair concentrations were higher than head hair concentrations. Even in three cases, no steroid was identified in head hair, although present in body hair.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous testing for anabolic steroids in human hair specimens collected from various anatomic locations has several advantages when compared with the standard head hair analysis

Drug Testing and Analysis

Raul

2021

“…With respect to endogenous steroids, no significant correlation for cortisone, cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone, and progesterone concentrations were found between hair and nails. These results demonstrate that matrix‐dependent value ranges for hair and nail steroid levels should be established and applied for interpretation 24 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…These results demonstrate that matrix-dependent value ranges for hair and nail steroid levels should be established and applied for interpretation. 24 Amphetamines are detected presumably with higher concentrations in toenails than in fingernails. In contrast to amphetamines, cocaine is present in 7-to 20-fold higher concentrations in fingernails compared with toenails.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of S22 (ostarine) in human nails and hair using LC‐HRMS. Application to two authentic cases

Drug Testing and Analysis

Ameline

et al. 2020

Ostarine, also known as S22 or MK2866 and enobosarm, is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). It has high anabolic potency, in addition to limited androgenic effects. At this time, ostarine has no therapeutic use, but can be abused for performance-enhancing purposes using the oral route, at dosages of 10-25 mg per day. As the drug can easily be obtained via the Internet or some fitness centers, athletes and more and more amateurs can use it without undergoing the deleterious physiological side effects that are generally associated with testosterone-related compounds. Since 2008, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has prohibited SARMs at-all-times in the category of "other anabolic agents" under section S1.2 of the WADA List. In a case of trafficking/abuse, ostarine was identified in nail (subject 1) and hair (subject 2) by LC/HRMS after incubation of 50 mg of matrix in a pH 9.5 buffer, followed by extraction with organic solvents. The drug was quantitated by LC-MS/MS. Ostarine tested positive at 61 pg/mg (toenails) and 111 pg/mg (fingernails) for subject 1. Ostarine was present at 146, 168, 93, and 101 pg/mg in the 4 × 3 cm hair sections of subject 2, clearly demonstrating long-term use.

“…With respect to steroids, data about identification in nails of endogenous compounds, such as dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, and testosterone, are available in the scientific literature [12][13][14][15], but there is a critical lack of reports dealing with synthetic derivatives of testosterone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing for anabolic steroids in human nail clippings

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Raul

2021

Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, and their abuse can have numerous health consequences. Identification of this group of drugs has found applications in forensic toxicology, clinical situations, psychiatric disorders, and of course, anti-doping violations. Although anabolic steroids are generally tested in urine and very occasionally in head hair, collectors can face the lack of standard specimens, and therefore, nail clippings can be the unique alternative choice. Although there is How to cite this article: Kintz P, Gheddar L, Raul J-S. Testing for anabolic steroids in human nail clippings.