TY - JOUR
T1 - Deuterodiacetylmorphine as a marker for use of illicit heroin by addicts in a heroin-assisted treatment program
AU - Klous, Marjolein G.
AU - Rook, Elisabeth J.
AU - Hillebrand, Michel J. X.
AU - van den Brink, Wim
AU - van Ree, Jan M.
AU - Beijnen, Jos H.
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - In preparation for a treatment program concerning the medical coprescription of heroin and methadone to treatment-resistant addicts in the Netherlands, we studied a novel strategy for monitoring co-use of illicit (nonprescribed) heroin. A deuterated analogue of heroin was added (1:20) to pharmaceutical, smokable heroin (a powder mixture of 75% w/w diacetylmorphine base and 25% w/w caffeine anhydrate), to be used by inhalation after volatilization ("chasing the dragon"). Plasma and urine samples were collected from nine male patients who had used pharmaceutical, smokable heroin during a four-day stay in a closed clinical research unit, and these samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Ratios of deuterated and undeuterated diacetylmorphine and 6-acetylmorphine (MAM/MAM-d3) in plasma and urine were calculated from peak areas of these substances in the respective chromatograms. The MAM/MAM-d3 ratios in plasma and urine were normally distributed (with small standard deviations) and independent from concentrations of 6-acetylmorphine and from time after use of pharmaceutical heroin. A MAM/MAM-d3 ratio in urine above 32.8 was considered indicative of co-use of illicit heroin, and this value was associated with a false-positive rate of only 1% (95% confidence interval: -1 to 3%). The MAM/MAM-d3 ratio was detectable in urine for 4-9.5 h after use of pharmaceutical, smokable heroin. Addition of stable, isotopically labelled heroin to pharmaceutical, smokable heroin is considered to be a feasible strategy for the detection of co-use of illicit heroin by patients in heroin-assisted treatment
AB - In preparation for a treatment program concerning the medical coprescription of heroin and methadone to treatment-resistant addicts in the Netherlands, we studied a novel strategy for monitoring co-use of illicit (nonprescribed) heroin. A deuterated analogue of heroin was added (1:20) to pharmaceutical, smokable heroin (a powder mixture of 75% w/w diacetylmorphine base and 25% w/w caffeine anhydrate), to be used by inhalation after volatilization ("chasing the dragon"). Plasma and urine samples were collected from nine male patients who had used pharmaceutical, smokable heroin during a four-day stay in a closed clinical research unit, and these samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Ratios of deuterated and undeuterated diacetylmorphine and 6-acetylmorphine (MAM/MAM-d3) in plasma and urine were calculated from peak areas of these substances in the respective chromatograms. The MAM/MAM-d3 ratios in plasma and urine were normally distributed (with small standard deviations) and independent from concentrations of 6-acetylmorphine and from time after use of pharmaceutical heroin. A MAM/MAM-d3 ratio in urine above 32.8 was considered indicative of co-use of illicit heroin, and this value was associated with a false-positive rate of only 1% (95% confidence interval: -1 to 3%). The MAM/MAM-d3 ratio was detectable in urine for 4-9.5 h after use of pharmaceutical, smokable heroin. Addition of stable, isotopically labelled heroin to pharmaceutical, smokable heroin is considered to be a feasible strategy for the detection of co-use of illicit heroin by patients in heroin-assisted treatment
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/29.6.564
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/29.6.564
M3 - Article
C2 - 16168180
SN - 0146-4760
VL - 29
SP - 564
EP - 569
JO - Journal of Analytical Toxicology
JF - Journal of Analytical Toxicology
IS - 6
ER -