A high-throughput test to detect C.E.R.A. doping in blood

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2009 Dec 5;50(5):954-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2009.06.038. Epub 2009 Jun 27.

Abstract

C.E.R.A., a continuous erythropoietin receptor activator, is a new third-generation erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) that has recently been linked with abuse in endurance sports. In order to combat this new form of doping, we examined an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) designed to detect the presence of C.E.R.A. in serum samples. The performance of the assay was evaluated using a pilot excretion study that involved six subjects receiving C.E.R.A. Validation data demonstrated an excellent reproducibility and ensured the applicability of the assay for anti-doping purposes. To maximize the chances of detecting the drug in serum samples, we propose the use of this specific ELISA test as a high-throughput screening method, combined with a classic isoelectric focusing test as a confirmatory assay. This strategy should make C.E.R.A. abuse relatively easy to detect, thereby preventing the future use of this drug as a doping agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Doping in Sports*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods*
  • Erythropoietin / analysis*
  • Erythropoietin / blood*
  • Erythropoietin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Isoelectric Focusing / methods
  • Male
  • Polyethylene Glycols / analysis*
  • ROC Curve
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Substance Abuse Detection / methods*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • continuous erythropoietin receptor activator
  • Erythropoietin
  • Polyethylene Glycols