Stability and detectability of testosterone esters in dried blood spots after intramuscular injection

https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3030 

Commentary

This study investigated the relevance of doping tests for athletes.

Misuse of testosterone esters is widespread in elite and recreational sports, and direct detection of intact testosterone esters in doping control samples has been found to be hampered by rapid hydrolysis by esterases present in the blood.

The use of dried blood spots (DBS) as a sample matrix inactivates the hydrolytic enzymes in the dried blood, thus avoiding the continuous degradation of the ester.

In our research, we developed a method to detect testosterone esters in DBS, focusing on its robustness and applicability in doping control. To demonstrate the feasibility of this method, Sustanon®250 (n = 9) placebo (n = 10), was collected, transported and stored prior to analysis to mimic a doping control scenario.

Since the presented nanoLC-HRMS/MS method appears to be reliable and suitable for the direct detection of the four testosterone esters (testosterone decanoate, isocaproic acid, phenylpropionic acid, propionic acid) after extraction from DBS, Sustanon® was detected for 5 days in all subjects, with a detection window of up to 14 days for the three esters.

An assessment of the stability of the analytes showed that storage at room temperature is well tolerated for several days, but the testosterone esters are very stable (> 18 months) at DBS when stored in frozen conditions.

These findings indicate the applicability of DBS sampling in doping control for the detection of steroid esters, according to the authors.