Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
Published on: January 28, 2014
The effects of iron injection on blood doping biomarkers in dried blood spots
Francesco Loria1, Estelle Maret1, Céline Schobinger1
1Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Iron supplementation is not considered as a doping method; however, it can affect the levels of several biomarkers of the hematologic module of the athlete biological passport (ABP), such as the reticulocyte percentage (%RET) and hemoglobin (HGB) level. Thus, iron injection could be a confounding factor in antidoping analyses. Previous studies have suggested that the HGB level and the expression levels of reticulocyte-related-mRNAs, such as 5'-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) and carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1), could be promising biomarkers for the ABP and detectable in dried blood spots (DBSs). Therefore, in this study, we examined the impact of iron injection on the levels of these potential biomarkers in DBSs. Reticulocyte-related-mRNAs analyses were performed by RT-qPCR. Ferritin level in DBS was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Notably, there were no significant effects of iron supplementation on the levels of ALAS2 and CA1 mRNAs but by contrast, the %RET and immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) measured in whole blood increased significantly following iron injection. As expected, iron supplementation increased the ferritin level significantly in both serum and DBS samples. In conclusion, these findings reinforce the specificity of reticulocyte-related mRNAs in DBSs as biomarkers of blood doping to target in antidoping analyses.
Iron supplementation is not considered as a doping method; however, it can affect the levels of several biomarkers of the hematologic module of the athlete biological passport (ABP), such as the reticulocyte percentage (%RET) and hemoglobin (HGB) level. Thus, iron injection could be a confounding factor in antidoping analyses. Previous studies have suggested that the HGB level and the expression levels of reticulocyte-related-mRNAs, such as 5'-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) and carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1), could be promising biomarkers for the ABP and detectable in dried blood spots (DBSs). Therefore, in this study, we examined the impact of iron injection on the levels of these potential biomarkers in DBSs. Reticulocyte-related-mRNAs analyses were performed by RT-qPCR. Ferritin level in DBS was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Notably, there were no significant effects of iron supplementation on the levels of ALAS2 and CA1 mRNAs but by contrast, the %RET and immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) measured in whole blood increased significantly following iron injection. As expected, iron supplementation increased the ferritin level significantly in both serum and DBS samples. In conclusion, these findings reinforce the specificity of reticulocyte-related mRNAs in DBSs as biomarkers of blood doping to target in antidoping analyses.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:18Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...