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Stabilization of human urine doping control samples: a current opinion

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Abstract

Transportation of doping control urine samples from the collection sites to the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) Accredited Laboratories is conducted under ambient temperatures. When sample delivery is not immediate, microbial contamination of urine, especially in summer, is a common phenomenon that may affect sample integrity and may result in misinterpretation of analytical data. Furthermore, the possibility of intentional contamination of sports samples during collection with proteolytic enzymes, masking the abuse of prohibited proteins such as erythropoietin (EPO) and peptide hormones, is a practice that has already been reported. Consequently, stabilization of urine samples with a suitable method in a way that protects samples’ integrity is important. Currently, no stabilization method is applied in the sample collection equipment system in order to prevent degradation of urine compounds. The present work is an overview of a study, funded by WADA, on degradation and stabilization aspects of sports urine samples against the above threats of degradation. Extensive method development resulted in the creation of a mixture of chemical agents for the stabilization of urine. Evaluation of results demonstrated that the stabilization mixture could stabilize endogenous steroids, recombinant EPO, and human chorionic gonadotropin in almost the entire range of the experimental conditions tested.

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Notes

  1. β-subunit of hCG, according to the nomenclature proposed by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) [43].

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to WADA for the research grants 05D6CG and 10A13CG. The cooperation of A. Tsakris, A. Velegraki, and J. Papaparaskevas (Department of Microbiology, Medical School of the University of Athens) in the provision of selected microorganisms and microbiological analysis of urine samples is greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doping Control Laboratory of Athens, OAKA, Kifissias 37, 15123, Maroussi, Greece

    Maria Tsivou, Helen A. Dimopoulou & Costas G. Georgakopoulos

  2. Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios G. Georgakopoulos

  3. Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry Department, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15771, Athens, Greece

    Maria Tsivou, Michael Α. Koupparis & Julia Atta-Politou

Authors
  1. Maria Tsivou
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  2. Dimitrios G. Georgakopoulos
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  3. Helen A. Dimopoulou
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  4. Michael Α. Koupparis
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  5. Julia Atta-Politou
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  6. Costas G. Georgakopoulos
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Correspondence to Costas G. Georgakopoulos.

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Published in the special issue Anti-Doping Analysis with Guest Editor Mario Thevis.

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Tsivou, M., Georgakopoulos, D.G., Dimopoulou, H.A. et al. Stabilization of human urine doping control samples: a current opinion. Anal Bioanal Chem 401, 553–561 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-4887-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-4887-5

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