Abstract
Aim: Quantification of testosterone (T) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone serum concentrations proved to be an efficient alternative to urinary steroid profiling for the detection of T doping. In this context, additional serum markers could be discovered by exploratory untargeted steroidomics studies. Results: Endogenous steroid metabolites were monitored by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry in serum samples collected during a T administration clinical trial. A three-step workflow for accurate review of annotation was used and multifactorial data analysis allowed highlighting promising serum biomarkers. Longitudinal monitoring of selected compounds was performed to assess T abuse detection capabilities. Conclusion: Application of serum steroidomics showed high potential for biomarker discovery of T doping, suggesting longitudinal monitoring of steroid hormones in serum as a significant improvement in detection of endogenous steroids abuse.
Supplementary data
To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline/doi/suppl/10.4155/bio-2019-0079
Financial & competing interests disclosure
This project was supported in whole by funding from the Partnership for Clean Competition Research Collaborative (57000 R117). The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Research Collaborative. S. Rudaz and J. Boccard wish to thank the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant 31003A_166658) as well as the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT) for their support in the development of steroidomics tools employed in this study. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.
Clinical trial data disclosure
The authors certify that this manuscript reports original clinical trial data. Deidentified, individual data that underlie the results reported in this article (text, tables, figures and appendices), along with the study protocol will be available indefinitely for anyone who wants access to them.
Supplementary data
To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline/doi/suppl/10.4155/bio-2019-0079