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Cannabis Use Surveillance by Sweat Analysis.
Cristiana Gambelunghe1, Nadia Fucci, Kyriaki Aroni
1*Department of Surgical and Biomedical Science, Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; and †Legal Medicine Section, Public Health Institute, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
|July 29, 2016
Summary
Sweat testing offers a noninvasive method for drug abuse detection. This study validates sweat analysis for monitoring cannabinoid use, complementing urine and hair testing.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Sweat testing presents an alternative biological matrix for drug abuse detection.
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze cannabinoids in sweat patches.
- Results were cross-referenced with urine and hair sample analyses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry procedure for detecting Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its metabolites in sweat patches.
- To compare the efficacy of sweat patch analysis with traditional urine and hair drug testing methods.
- To assess the suitability of sweat analysis for monitoring cannabinoid use and rehabilitation compliance.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous collection of urine, hair, and sweat samples from 12 patients undergoing forensic cases or abuse monitoring.
- Validation of the sweat patch quantification procedure, including selectivity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, recovery, and precision.
- Analysis of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, 11-nor-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid, cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidiol (CBD) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- All subjects tested positive for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its metabolite in urine and hair.
- Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol was detected in all sweat patches, with CBN and CBD found in a subset of samples.
- 11-nor-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid was not detected in sweat patches, indicating a difference in detection compared to urine and hair.
Conclusions:
- Sweat analysis provides integrated information comparable to hair and urine testing.
- The validated sweat analysis method is suitable for noninvasively monitoring recent cumulative cannabinoid use.
- Sweat patch testing can be a valuable tool for monitoring rehabilitation therapy compliance.
