title: Hair analysis of an unusual case of Chloroquine intoxication.
abstract: A dead body of middle aged man was exhumed from 6.5 month earth-grave. Autopsy findings were non-specific as the body was completely putrefied. Deceased's scalp hair and kidney was sent for toxicological analysis. Hair sample (50mg) was incubated with 1M NaOH (2 ml). Chloroquine was detected in hair and kidney during basic drug screen performed on GC/MS. For confirmation and quantitation, chloroquine was extracted using Hypersep verify CX SPE cartridges while mass detector was operated in SIM mode using the ions of m/z 245.0, 290.1, 319.0 for chloroquine while ions of m/z 260 and 455 were monitored for nalorphine (internal standard). Chloroquine was present in high concentration in hair (211 ng/mg) as well as in kidney (37.3mg/kg). Moreover, chloroquine was not detected in the wash solvents, suggesting ingestion of the drug rather than an external contamination of hair. These findings strongly suggested the acute exposure of higher doses of chloroquine to the deceased before death.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan. Electronic address: imranfstox@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imran
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Zar
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Ashiq
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Humera
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shafi
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hafiz Faisal
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sardar Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wattoo
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarwar
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology Department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ashraf
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tahir
mesh_terms: D002738:Chloroquine / Q000506:poisoning*; D049249:Exhumation; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002738:Chloroquine
keywords: Chloroquine; Exhumation; Hair; Intoxication