Testing for recombinant human erythropoietin in urine: problems associated with current anti-doping testing

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biochemistry
• Anti-Doping Analytics

Background:

• Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) enhances blood oxygen capacity, leading to potential misuse by athletes.
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratories test athlete urine samples for rHuEpo misuse.
• Existing rHuEpo detection methods face critiques regarding their effectiveness and consistency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the detection power of rHuEpo testing in athlete urine samples.
• To compare the variability in detection power between two WADA-accredited laboratories.
• To assess the efficacy of rHuEpo detection during different administration phases (boosting, maintenance, post-administration).

Main Methods:

• Eight human subjects were administered rHuEpo over a 4-week period, including boosting, maintenance, and a 3-week post-period.
• Urine samples were collected throughout the 7-week study duration.
• Samples were analyzed by two different WADA-accredited laboratories to compare results.

Main Results:

• Laboratory A detected rHuEpo misuse in all subjects during the boosting period.
• Laboratory B reported no misuse, with one negative and seven suspicious samples during the boosting period.
• Detection rates significantly decreased in maintenance and post-periods, with minimal positive or suspicious findings from either lab.

Conclusions:

• There is poor agreement in rHuEpo test results between the two WADA-accredited laboratories studied.
• The power to detect rHuEpo misuse is minimal during the maintenance and post-administration periods.
• Current anti-doping testing for rHuEpo may be insufficient to detect misuse effectively outside the initial administration phase.