Erythropoietin concentrations and isoforms in urine of anonymous Olympic athletes during the Nagano Olympic Games.
The ordinary doping control urine samples of 36 anonymous participants (cross-country skiers, biathlon athletes, and curling athletes) of the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games were analyzed for erythropoietin and erythropoietin isoforms. The urine erythropoietin concentration (IU/l) was determined with a competitive radioimmunoassay method and the isoforms were studied by electrophoresis and given as milli albumin mobility units (mAMU). Erythropoietin was detectable in 23 out of 36 specimens (64%). The biathlon and curling athletes had similar urine concentration of erythropoietin. The group of 16 cross-country skiers had significantly (P < 0.05) increased urine concentration of erythropoietin as compared to curling athletes and four of them had urine erythropoietin concentrations between 3.6 and 5.1 IU/l. The electrophoretic mobility of erythropoietin was determined in all eight samples with urine concentration of erythropoietin of more than 2 (range 2.1-5.1) IU/l. No single urine specimen with a median erythropoietin electrophoretic mobility below the cut-off level of 670 mAMU (indicative of doping with recombinant erythropoietin) was registered. Erythropoietin in urine was detected in 71% and the isoforms of Epo characterized in 29% of the anonymous Olympic endurance athletes. The urine concentration of erythropoietin in the biathlon and curling athletes were similar to those of non-athletes. The group of cross-country skiers had higher levels of erythropoietin in urine. These higher levels of urine erythropoietin in cross-country skiers are partly due to more concentrated urine specimens.
Berglund
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Division of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Wide
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D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004300:Doping in Sports; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000652:urine*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012016:Reference Values; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin