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Temporal indication of cannabis use by means of THC glucuronide determination
Author(s) -
Mareck Ute,
Haenelt Nadine,
Geyer Hans,
Guddat Sven,
Kamber Matthias,
Brenneisen Rudolf,
Thevis Mario,
Schänzer Wilhelm
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
drug testing and analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.065
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1942-7611
pISSN - 1942-7603
DOI - 10.1002/dta.106
Subject(s) - chromatography , urine , cannabis , cannabinoid , chemistry , metabolite , glucuronide , detection limit , extraction (chemistry) , medicine , biochemistry , receptor , psychiatry
According to the regulations of the World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA), the use of cannabinoids is forbidden in competition. In doping controls, the detection of cannabinoid misuse is based on the analysis of the non‐psychoactive metabolite 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (carboxy‐THC). The determination of values greater than 15 ng/mL in urine represents an adverse analytical finding; however, no accurate prediction of the time of application is possible as the half‐life of carboxy‐THC ranges between three and four days. Consequently the detection of carboxy‐THC in doping control urine samples collected in competition might also result from cannabis use in out‐of‐competition periods. The analysis of the glucuronide of the pharmacologically active delta 9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐gluc) may represent a complementary indicator for the detection of cannabis misuse in competition. An assay for the determination of THC‐gluc in human urine was established. The sample preparation consisted of liquid‐liquid extraction of urine specimens, and extracts were analysed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Authentic doping‐control urine samples as well as specimens obtained from a controlled smoking study were analysed and assay characteristics such as specificity, detection limit (0.1 ng/mL), precision (>90%), recovery (∼80%), and extraction efficiency (90%) were determined. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.