Data on ethyl glucuronide and cocaethylene concentrations in the hair of cocaine users.

We present data on ethyl glucuronide and cocaethylene concentrations from the hair of cocaine users. Head hair from 64 subjects, previously tested for cocaine, cocaethylene, benzoylecogonine and anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), were subsequently analysed for Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG). Samples were prepared by solid phase extraction and analysed using gas chromatrography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The dataset is made available to allow analysis of possible correlation between cocaethylene and ethyl glucuronide or between other metabolites presented in the data

Ethyl glucuronide as a long-term alcohol biomarker in fingernail and hair

Aims: This work aimed to assess the performance of hair and fingernail ethyl glucuronide (EtG) measurement for use as a biomarker of alcohol consumption in persons with known drinking history across a range of drinking behaviours. Methods: EtG concentrations were assessed from the hair and fingernails of 50 study participants. Alcohol consumption of the previous 90 days was assessed by participant interview using the alcohol time-line follow-back (TLFB) method. EtG concentration was determined using LC/MS-MS using a method which was validated and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 standards. Results: There was significant correlation between alcohol consumption and EtG concentrations found in hair and fingernail samples across the study group (n=50). From participants testing positive for EtG (male n=14, female n=13) no significant difference was found between male and female EtG levels in either hair or fingernails. Across all participants there was no significant difference in hair or fingernail EtG concentration between male (n=23) and females (n=27). Conclusions: Our results support the use of EtG to indicate alcohol consumption over the previous 90 days, or approximately 3 months as is the normal practice in hair analysis. The results confirm that fingernails can be a useful alternative matrix where hair samples are not available

Hair analysis following chronic smoked-drugs-of-abuse exposure in adults and their toddler: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Over the past two decades, the study of chronic cocaine and crack cocaine exposure in the pediatric population has been focused on the potential adverse effects, especially in the prenatal period and early childhood. Non-invasive biological matrices have become an essential tool for the assessment of a long-term history of drug of abuse exposure.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>We analyze the significance of different biomarker values in hair after chronic crack exposure in a two-year-old Caucasian girl and her parents, who are self-reported crack smokers. The level of benzoylecgonine, the principal metabolite of cocaine, was determined in segmented hair samples (0 cm to 3 cm from the scalp, and > 3 cm from the scalp) following washing to exclude external contamination. Benzoylecgonine was detectable in high concentrations in the child's hair, at 1.9 ng/mg and 7.04 ng/mg, respectively. Benzoylecgonine was also present in the maternal and paternal hair samples at 7.88 ng/mg and 6.39 ng/mg, and 13.06 ng/mg and 12.97 ng/mg, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based on the data from this case and from previously published poisoning cases, as well as on the experience of our research group, we conclude that, using similar matrices for the study of chronic drug exposure, children present with a higher cocaine concentration in hair and they experience more serious deleterious acute effects, probably due to a different and slower cocaine metabolism. Consequently, children must be not exposed to secondhand crack smoke under any circumstance.</p

Experience of road and other trauma by the opiate dependent patient: a survey report

Background: Trauma plays an important role in the experience of many patients with substance use disorder, but is relatively under-studied particularly in Australia. The present survey examined the lifetime prevalence of various forms of trauma including driving careers in the context of relevant medical conditions. Methods: A survey was undertaken in a family medicine practice with a special interest in addiction medicine in Brisbane, Australia. Results: Of 350 patients surveyed, 220 were substance dependent, and 130 were general medical patients. Addicted patients were younger (mean ± S.D. 33.72 ± 8.14 vs. 44.24 ± 16.91 years, P < 0.0001) and had shorter driving histories (15.96 ± 8.50 vs. 25.54 ± 15.03 years, P < 0.0001). They had less driving related medical problems (vision, spectacle use, diabetes) but more fractures, surgical operations, dental trauma and assaults. Addicted patients also had significantly worse driving histories on most parameters measured including percent with driving suspensions (O.R. = 7.70, C.I. 4.38-13.63), duration of suspensions (1.71 ± 3.60 vs. 0.11 ± 0.31 years, P < 0.0001), number of motor vehicle collisions (2.00 ± 3.30 vs. 1.10 ± 1.32, P = 0.01), numbers of cars repaired (1.73 ± 3.59 vs. 1.08 ± 1.60, P = 0.042), rear end collisions (O.R. = 1.90, CI 1.13-3.25), running away after car crashes (O.R. = 26.37, CI 4.31-1077.48), other people hospitalized (O.R. = 2.00, C.I. 0.93-4.37, P = 0.037) and people killed (17 vs. 0 P = 0.0005). Upon multivariate analysis group membership was shown to be a significant determinant of both cars repaired and cars hit when controlled for length of driving history. Hence use of all types of drugs (O.R. = 10.07, C.I. 8.80-14.72) was more common in addicted patients as were general (O.R. = 3.64, C.I. 2.99-4.80) and road (O.R.= 2.73, C.I. 2.36-3.15) trauma. Conclusion: This study shows that despite shorter driving histories, addicted patients have worse driving careers and general trauma experience than the comparison group which is not explained by associated medical conditions. Trauma is relevant to addiction management at both the patient and policy levels. Substance dependence policies which focus largely on prevention of virus transmission likely have too narrow a public health focus, and tend to engender an unrealistically simplistic and trivialized view of the addiction syndrome. Reduction of drug driving and drug related trauma likely require policies which reduce drug use per se, and are not limited to harm reduction measures alone

Induction of Selective Blood-Tumor Barrier Permeability and Macromolecular Transport by a Biostable Kinin B1 Receptor Agonist in a Glioma Rat Model

Treatment of malignant glioma with chemotherapy is limited mostly because of delivery impediment related to the blood-brain tumor barrier (BTB). B1 receptors (B1R), inducible prototypical G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) can regulate permeability of vessels including possibly that of brain tumors. Here, we determine the extent of BTB permeability induced by the natural and synthetic peptide B1R agonists, LysdesArg9BK (LDBK) and SarLys[dPhe8]desArg9BK (NG29), in syngeneic F98 glioma-implanted Fischer rats. Ten days after tumor inoculation, we detected the presence of B1R on tumor cells and associated vasculature. NG29 infusion increased brain distribution volume and uptake profiles of paramagnetic probes (Magnevist and Gadomer) at tumoral sites (T1-weighted imaging). These effects were blocked by B1R antagonist and non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors, but not by B2R antagonist and non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Consistent with MRI data, systemic co-administration of NG29 improved brain tumor delivery of Carboplatin chemotherapy (ICP-Mass spectrometry). We also detected elevated B1R expression in clinical samples of high-grade glioma. Our results documented a novel GPCR-signaling mechanism for promoting transient BTB disruption, involving activation of B1R and ensuing production of COX metabolites. They also underlined the potential value of synthetic biostable B1R agonists as selective BTB modulators for local delivery of different sized-therapeutics at (peri)tumoral sites