Potential detection of low-dose transdermal testosterone administration in blood, urine, and saliva.

Abstract Administration of low amounts of endogenous hormones - so-called micro-dosages - are supposed to represent a major challenge in doping analysis. To model such a situation, we have studied transdermal administrations of 2.4 mg/24 h testosterone patches and examined various steroid concentrations in blood, urine, and saliva of 11 volunteers. Multiple samples were collected at t = 0, 3, 6, 9, 24, 48, and 72 h in four different phases, i.e., all combinations with/without physical exercise and with/without testosterone. Testosterone was analyzed by enzyme-linked-immuno-assay as well as by mass spectrometry and validated in an accredited anti-doping laboratory. Circadian controls with and without exercise did not provoke prominent alterations of whole, free, and salivary testosterone. Testosterone application for 24 h led to a significant (all p < 0.001) mean increase above controls: total testosterone (median: 5.2 vs. 8.0 ng/mL), free testosterone (median: 11.3 vs. 15.6 pg/mL), and salivary testosterone (median: 62.4 vs. 99.9 pg/mL). Additionally, all three testosterone measurements indicated significant correlations to each other (all r > 0.538, all p < .001). Circadian-matching showed peaking testosterone values after 6 h and 9 h, reaching highest augmentation up to 252.6 ± 123.5% in saliva after 9 h. After removal of the testosterone patch, all testosterone levels in blood, saliva, and urine returned to baseline within 24 h. Different techniques of hormone detection (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)) indicated significant correlations. Results indicate that saliva, blood, and urine exhibit comparable hormone augmentation during micro-dose testosterone application, indicating a possible consideration in future doping analysis. The inter-individual variability was high in all biofluids, requiring the use of an individual biological passport rather than statistical values. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DRG product(s) used in the study above

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Testosterone Free Testosterone Salivary Testosterone Schönfelder M1,2, Hofmann H3, Schulz T3, Engl T3, Kemper D3, Mayr B4, Rautenberg C5, Oberhoffer R3, Thieme D5.

Author Information

1. Chair of Exercise Biology, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
2. Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
3. Chair of Preventive Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
4. Research Institute of Molecular Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Paracelus Medical Private University, Salzburg, Austria.
5. Institute of Doping Analysis und Sports Biochemistry Dresden, Kreischa, Germany. Drug Test Anal. 2016 Nov;8(11-12):1186-1196. doi: 10.1002/dta.2110. Epub 2016 Nov 9.
Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27723957

by Gary Khodanian | Nov 9, 2016