Sensitivity of doping biomarkers after administration of a single dose testosterone gel

In this study, we investigated the detectability of a single dose of 100 mg T gel in 8 healthy male subjects. We also studied which biomarkers were most sensitive to T gel administration, including blood biomarkers. The ABP successfully detected T gel administration in all 8 subjects. The most sensitive ratio was 5αAdiol/E, however, also T/E and 5αAdiol/5βAdiol showed atypical findings. IRMS was performed on 5 subjects and only two met all the criteria for a positive test according to the rules set by WADA. The other three showed inconclusive results. Other markers that were affected by T gel administration, not used for this detection today, were serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and T as well as reticulocyte count and percentage in whole blood. miRNA‐122 was not significantly affected by the single T dose. A single dose of 100 mg T gel is possible to detect with today's doping tests. Since a single dose of T gel has an impact on some hematological biomarkers, access to both modules of the ABP when evaluating the athletes' profiles will increase the possibility to detect micro‐doses of T. In addition, serum DHT and T may be a useful addition to the future endocrine module of the biological passport.
Source: Drug Testing and Analysis - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research