title: A high-throughput test to detect C.E.R.A. doping in blood.
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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Suisse d'Analyse du Dopage, Centre Universitaire Romand de Médecine Légale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Croisettes 22, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamon
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Léonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Egli
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smolander
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarsch
authors.forename: Kay-Gunnar
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Stubenrauch
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: Martial
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saugy
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004300:Doping in Sports; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis*; D012372:ROC Curve; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C508420:continuous erythropoietin receptor activator; D004921:Erythropoietin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols