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Testing for anabolic steroids in human nail clippings
Pascal Kintz1,2, Laurie Gheddar1, Jean-Sébastien Raul1
1Institut de médecine légale, Strasbourg, France.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|April 22, 2021
Summary
Nail clippings offer a longer detection window for anabolic steroid abuse than head hair. A new method using mass spectrometry successfully identified multiple steroids in nail samples, aiding forensic toxicology.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Anabolic steroid abuse has significant health and legal implications.
- Standard drug testing often relies on urine or head hair analysis.
- Alternative biological matrices are needed for comprehensive drug detection.
Observation:
- Nail clippings provide a significantly longer detection window for anabolic steroids compared to head hair.
- A novel analytical method involving pulverization, sonication, and advanced chromatography was developed for steroid detection in nails.
- The method successfully identified various anabolic steroids, including stanozolol, nandrolone, trenbolone, drostanolone, and testosterone enanthate, at low pg/mg concentrations.
Findings:
- The developed method demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for identifying anabolic steroids in nail clippings.
- Tandem mass spectrometry is essential for quantifying low concentrations of steroids in nail samples.
- Case studies confirm the utility of nail clippings in documenting anabolic steroid abuse.
Implications:
- Nail clipping analysis represents a valuable alternative or complementary method for anabolic steroid detection in forensic and anti-doping contexts.
- This approach enhances the ability to identify long-term or intermittent substance abuse.
- Further research can optimize nail-based drug testing protocols for a wider range of substances.