The detection of 6-monoacetylmorphine in urine, serum and hair by GC/MS and RIA.
6-Monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) is a good indicator for the intake of heroin and can be detected in blood, urine and hair of heroin users. A new radioimmunoassay (RIA) designed specifically for 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) was tested for its usefulness for the quantitation of the drug in urine, serum and hair. Its cross-reactivity with heroin and its metabolites, and related compounds was also determined. Eighty-nine hair, six serum and 25 urine samples where 6-MAM had been previously identified by GC/MS were analysed for 6-MAM with the new RIA kit. A good correlation existed between the GC/MS and RIA results for the hair samples. However, the amount of 6-MAM found in serum and urine differed considerably between the two methods. This difference could be explained by the cross-reactivity of the antibody with morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide, which are present in much larger amounts in serum and urine, than in hair. To evaluate a new rationalisation procedure, some hair samples were split into two portions after incubation. One part was analyzed for 6-MAM by RIA, and the other portion by GC/MS.
Institute of Legal Medicine, Homburg, Germany.
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Moeller
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Mueller
D003429:Cross Reactions; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C026979:6-O-monoacetylmorphine