title: Serial ricinine levels in serum and urine after ricin intoxication.
abstract: Ricinine is an alkaloid present in the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) that can be used as a biomarker for ricin poisoning. Serial ricinine levels are reported in the serum and urine of a patient suffering from intentional ricin intoxication. The patient was brought to the hospital 4 h after injection and oral intake of a castor bean extract, but died 38 h later, despite intensive medical care. Ricinine was isolated from the samples by solid-phase extraction and quantitatively determined by isotopic dilution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ricinine level in serum declined from 33 to 23 ng/mL between 10 and 29 h post-exposure. Three urine samples collected from 12 to 41 h after ricin intoxication showed ricinine concentrations in the range of 20-58 ng/mL. The creatinine corrected values (21-30 µg/g) indicated a concentration-time profile with a maximum ricinine level in urine between 12 and 29 h after exposure.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), P.O. Box 25, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway. Bent-Tore.Roen@ffi.no
authors.forename: Bent Tore
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Røen
authors.forename: Aase Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Opstad
authors.forename: Anniken
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haavind
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tønsager
mesh_terms: D002367:Ricinus communis / Q000737:chemistry; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D012276:Ricin / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity*; D013405:Suicide; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012276:Ricin