{"title":"Monitoring Addiction to Pregabalin in Northern Algeria by Using Hair Testing.","authors":"Tehami Soumia, Bertaso Anna, Murari Matilde, Djafer Rachid, Federica Bortolotti, Gottardo Rossella","doi":"10.1002/elps.202400161","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pregabalin (PGB) is a novel gamma-aminobutyric acid analog that has been recently approved for the treatment of partial-onset seizures, neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia. Although PGB presents a low potential for abuse in comparison to other scheduled drugs, the literature reports its potential misuse, especially among individuals with former or current drug addiction. The present study aimed to develop and validate a novel method for the determination of PGB in hair to perform a retrospective observational study on the misuse of this drug in a population of addicted subjects from Northern Algeria. Hair and urine samples were collected from patients (n = 79) with a history of illicit drug use, monitored by the Intermediate Addiction Care Center of Constantine (Algeria). None of the patients had a medical prescription for PGB. Samples had also been tested for the presence of other drugs of abuse with routine LC-MS/MS methods. Hair samples (∼25 mg) were analyzed for PGB after sonication for 2 h in acetonitrile. The organic phase was dried and reconstituted in 100 µL mobile phase and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The method was fully validated with LOD and LOQ results of 10 and 20 pg/mg, respectively. The linearity was verified in the 20-1000 pg/mg range. PGB was found in the hair samples of 51/79 subjects, with concentrations ranging from traces to 380 pg/mg. The study revealed that about 65% of the subjects used PGB in the absence of any medical prescription, indicating the potential misuse of this drug.</p>","PeriodicalId":11596,"journal":{"name":"ELECTROPHORESIS","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ELECTROPHORESIS","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.202400161","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Pregabalin (PGB) is a novel gamma-aminobutyric acid analog that has been recently approved for the treatment of partial-onset seizures, neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia. Although PGB presents a low potential for abuse in comparison to other scheduled drugs, the literature reports its potential misuse, especially among individuals with former or current drug addiction. The present study aimed to develop and validate a novel method for the determination of PGB in hair to perform a retrospective observational study on the misuse of this drug in a population of addicted subjects from Northern Algeria. Hair and urine samples were collected from patients (n = 79) with a history of illicit drug use, monitored by the Intermediate Addiction Care Center of Constantine (Algeria). None of the patients had a medical prescription for PGB. Samples had also been tested for the presence of other drugs of abuse with routine LC-MS/MS methods. Hair samples (∼25 mg) were analyzed for PGB after sonication for 2 h in acetonitrile. The organic phase was dried and reconstituted in 100 µL mobile phase and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The method was fully validated with LOD and LOQ results of 10 and 20 pg/mg, respectively. The linearity was verified in the 20-1000 pg/mg range. PGB was found in the hair samples of 51/79 subjects, with concentrations ranging from traces to 380 pg/mg. The study revealed that about 65% of the subjects used PGB in the absence of any medical prescription, indicating the potential misuse of this drug.
期刊介绍:
ELECTROPHORESIS is an international journal that publishes original manuscripts on all aspects of electrophoresis, and liquid phase separations (e.g., HPLC, micro- and nano-LC, UHPLC, micro- and nano-fluidics, liquid-phase micro-extractions, etc.).
Topics include new or improved analytical and preparative methods, sample preparation, development of theory, and innovative applications of electrophoretic and liquid phase separations methods in the study of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates natural products, pharmaceuticals, food analysis, environmental species and other compounds of importance to the life sciences.
Papers in the areas of microfluidics and proteomics, which are not limited to electrophoresis-based methods, will also be accepted for publication. Contributions focused on hyphenated and omics techniques are also of interest. Proteomics is within the scope, if related to its fundamentals and new technical approaches. Proteomics applications are only considered in particular cases.
Papers describing the application of standard electrophoretic methods will not be considered.
Papers on nanoanalysis intended for publication in ELECTROPHORESIS should focus on one or more of the following topics:
• Nanoscale electrokinetics and phenomena related to electric double layer and/or confinement in nano-sized geometry
• Single cell and subcellular analysis
• Nanosensors and ultrasensitive detection aspects (e.g., involving quantum dots, "nanoelectrodes" or nanospray MS)
• Nanoscale/nanopore DNA sequencing (next generation sequencing)
• Micro- and nanoscale sample preparation
• Nanoparticles and cells analyses by dielectrophoresis
• Separation-based analysis using nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanowires.