title: Development and validation of a single LC-MS/MS assay following SPE for simultaneous hair analysis of amphetamines, opiates, cocaine and metabolites.
abstract: The two major challenges in hair analysis are the limited amount of samples usually available and the low targeted concentrations. To overcome these limitations, a liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) allowing the simultaneous analysis of 17 amphetamines (amphetamine, BDB, m-CPP, dexfenfluramine, DOB, DOM, ephedrine, MBDB, MDA, MDEA, MDMA, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, 4-MTA, norephedrine, norfenfluramine and PMA), 5 opiates (morphine, codeine, heroin, ethylmorphine, and 6AM), cocaine and 5 metabolites [ecgonine methyl ester (EME), benzoylecgonine (BZE), anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AME), cocaethylene, and norcocaine] has been developed. The validation procedure included linearity, intra-day and inter-day variability and accuracy for 5 days (5 replicates at 3 concentration levels). Proficiency studies were used to check the accuracy of the method. As a result, all amphetamines, opiates and cocaine derivatives were satisfactory identified by 2 MRM transitions in 15 min. Calibration curves were performed by a quadratic 1/X weighted regression. The calibration model fits from 0.05 to 10 ng/mg. The limits of detection (LODs) range between 0.005 and 0.030 ng/mg. Precision has been checked by intra-day and inter-day RSD, and associated relative bias, which were lower than 25% for the limits of quantifications (LOQs) and lower than 20% for the other levels tested. This method was routinely applied to hair samples: two positive results of adult drug addicts are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. Electronic address: laurent.imbert@unilim.fr.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. Electronic address: sylvain.dulaurent@unilim.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dulaurent
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. Electronic address: mm@shimadzu.fr.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercerolle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. Electronic address: CG@chu-limoges.fr.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morichon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France; Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, 2 rue Docteur Raymond Marcland, 87000 Limoges, France. Electronic address: gerard.lachatre@unilim.fr.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lachâtre
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 2, Avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. Electronic address: jm-gaulier@unilim.fr.
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaulier
mesh_terms: D000662:Amphetamines / Q000032:analysis*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009294:Narcotics; C008671:norcocaine; C068464:anhydroecgonine methyl ester; C005618:benzoylecgonine; C066444:cocaethylene; D003042:Cocaine; C034524:ecgonine methyl ester
keywords: Amphetamines; Cocaine; Forensic toxicology; Hair; Opiates; Tandem mass spectrometry