Simultaneous determination of drugs of abuse (opiates, cocaine and amphetamine) in human hair by GC/MS and its application to a methadone treatment program.
A new method was developed for the simultaneous detection and quantitation of 6-acetyl-morphine (MAM), amphetamine, benzoylecgonine (BZE), cocaine, codeine, dihydrocodeine, EDDP (methadone metabolite), methadone and morphine in hair. The hair samples were washed, cut into 2-cm segments, pulverized, incubated with phosphate buffer and beta-glucuronidase/aryl-sulfatase. After solid phase extraction and derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride/pentafluoropropanol, the drugs were identified and measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using their deuterated analogues as internal standards. The method is reproducible with detection limits under 0.1 ng/mg hair for almost all substances tested. Fifteen hair samples from five subjects of a methadone treatment program were collected in a 6-month period. The hair samples were segmented and examined for methadone, its main metabolite EDDP, and drugs of abuse. Of the 96 segments analysed, 95% were positive for methadone (mean value, 10.9 ng/mg), 76% for the metabolite EDDP (mean value, 1.2 ng/mg), 69% for opiates (mean values, MAM, 7.3 ng/mg; morphine, 2.9 ng/mg; codeine, 1.0 ng/mg) and 43% for cocaine (mean values, cocaine, 2.6 ng/mg; BZE, 1.1 ng/mg). A correlation of 0.63 was found between administered methadone dosages and concentrations measured by hair analysis. Further investigation is needed to clarify interindividual differences.
Moeller
M R
MR
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany.
Fey
P
P
Wennig
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000032:analysis; D002138:Calibration; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D003061:Codeine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009020:Morphine / Q000032:analysis; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C005618:benzoylecgonine; D009020:Morphine; D000661:Amphetamine; D003042:Cocaine; C026979:6-O-monoacetylmorphine; C014481:dihydrocodeine; D008691:Methadone; D003061:Codeine