GH 2000: A methodology for the detection of doping with growth hormone and related substances

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 96.0102

Key words (English)

Drug abuse; doping; sport; growth hormone

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: BMH4CT 950678

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.2 Agriculture and agroindustry

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Université de Lausanne
Institut Universitaire de Médecine légale
Unité d'Analyse du dopage

Partners and International Organizations (English)

UMDS, London (UK), Gothenburg University (S), Aarhus University (DK), University of Napoli (I), I.O.C., Prince Alexandre de Merode, Pharmacia Co, Novo Nordisk Co.

Abstract (English)

This project was aimed to develop a test for the detection of illegal recombinant human growth hormone (rkgh) administration. Several studies have been conducted on healthy volunteers by our partners including a so called 'washout study', a 'double-blind' (doping simulation) study, a 'cross sectional' study and a 'longitude' study. All urine samples, collected during these studies at specified intervals, were conditionned and annonymized in situ. Selection for the most informative experimental time points of collection was necessary in order to adapt with our actual possibilities. Shortly after receiving the frozen samples in our laboratory, we mesured urinary concentrations of: hgh, igf-bp3, and for the bone markers that are excreted in the urine: pyrridinium crosslinks (pyd) and deoxypyridinoline crosslinks (dpd) as well as creatinine and total protein (to assess and allow correction for the degree of urine concentration). All immunological assays were carerfully checked under our own experimental settings for validity before hand. Data are now available on samples for the washout study and the double-blind study.

As expected, the cocentrations of the peptides gh and igf-bp3 were very low (they are most-likely directly metabolised by the kidney and broken down into constituent amino acids), showed much variation and indicated only very weak discrimination powers between the gh-treated and the placebo-treated groups at any time point. The concentration of the metabolites of the bone markers showed a significant increase with gh treatment. In very preliminary statistical analyses made in UK the results from these two metabolites of the bone markers showed encouraging powers of discrimination between the placebo group and the trated group. Additional statistical analyses on these date shall be continued. It is possible that some aspect of this might provide a useful adjunct to the blood testing.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0102