title: Simultaneous determination of 18 abused opioids and metabolites in human hair using LC-MS/MS and illegal opioids abuse proven by hair analysis.
abstract: Natural and synthetic opioids have efficient analgesic activity but can also be addictive. Thus, the determination of opioids and their metabolites in biological specimens is of interest in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. The analysis of drugs in hair provides valuable information on previous chronic drug use and has been successfully applied to the diagnosis of drug abuse, tolerance, compliance and gestational drug exposure. Despite the abuse of prescription opioids along with heroin and other illegal opiates, few studies have been conducted on the simultaneous determination of the broad range of opioids covering those drugs in hair. In the present study, an analytical method for the simultaneous detection in hair of 18 opioids and metabolites considered to have a high abuse risk based on the results of urine drug screening was established and validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the purpose of clinical and forensic applications. The drugs and metabolites were extracted from hair using methanol and analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The validation results proved that the method was selective, accurate and precise with acceptable linearity within calibration ranges. No significant variation was observed by different sources of matrices. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.05 to 0.25ng/10mg hair and from 0.05 to 0.5ng/10mg hair, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to 15 hair samples from opioids users. This method will be very useful for monitoring the inappropriate use of opioid drugs.
authors.affiliation: National Forensic Service, 331-1 Sinwol-7-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jihyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 704-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dajeong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 704-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: National Forensic Service, 331-1 Sinwol-7-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Meejung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: National Forensic Service, 331-1 Sinwol-7-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Wonkyung
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Forensic Service, 331-1 Sinwol-7-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eunmi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Southern District Office, National Forensic Service, 50 Geumoh-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-815, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hwakyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 704-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: sylee21@kmu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sooyeun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D003932:Heroin / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D003932:Heroin
keywords: Drug abuse; Hair analysis; LC–MS/MS; Method validation; Opioids