Prolonged Detection of GHB Intake in Urine: Are We Finally There?

IF 2.7 3区医学 Q2 BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS

Drug Testing and Analysis Pub Date : 2025-10-06 DOI:10.1002/dta.3956

Kathrine B Faldborg, Jørgen B Hasselstrøm, Thomas Kraemer, Charlotte U Andersen, Andrea E Steuer

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) has been implicated in drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA). However, due to its rapid elimination and the challenge of distinguishing exogenous from endogenous levels, GHB is likely to be significantly underestimated in DFSA cases. Consequently, previous research has focused on identifying biomarkers associated with GHB intake that persist longer than GHB itself. Conjugates of GHB with amino acids and pentose have been proposed as potential candidates, but data on their detection times remain limited. In this study, a randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving 30 healthy volunteers was conducted. Urine samples were collected at regular intervals over 5 days post-administration. Using a validated LC-MS/MS method, we quantified known and proposed GHB biomarkers, aiming to identify those capable of extending the detection window. GHB-amino acid conjugates showed limited utility beyond early time points, whereas a tentatively identified GHB-pentose emerged as a very promising marker. With structural confirmation and further validation, it may allow reliable detection for at least 24 h after intake, representing a significant advance in DFSA investigations.

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尿中GHB摄入的长期检测：我们最终做到了吗？

γ -羟基丁酸（GHB）与药物性侵犯（DFSA）有关。然而，由于其快速消除和区分外源性和内源性水平的挑战，在DFSA病例中，GHB可能被严重低估。因此，以前的研究主要集中在确定与GHB摄入相关的生物标志物，这些标志物比GHB本身持续的时间更长。GHB与氨基酸和戊糖的缀合物被认为是潜在的候选物，但其检测时间的数据仍然有限。在这项研究中，进行了一项随机、安慰剂对照试验，涉及30名健康志愿者。给药后5天定期收集尿液样本。使用经过验证的LC-MS/MS方法，我们量化了已知和建议的GHB生物标志物，旨在确定能够扩展检测窗口的生物标志物。ghb -氨基酸偶联物在早期时间点之外的效用有限，而初步鉴定的ghb -戊糖则是非常有前途的标记物。通过结构确认和进一步验证，它可以在摄入后至少24小时内进行可靠的检测，这代表了DFSA研究的重大进展。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Drug Testing and Analysis BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS-CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

24.10%

发文量

191

审稿时长

2.3 months

期刊介绍： As the incidence of drugs escalates in 21st century living, their detection and analysis have become increasingly important. Sport, the workplace, crime investigation, homeland security, the pharmaceutical industry and the environment are just some of the high profile arenas in which analytical testing has provided an important investigative tool for uncovering the presence of extraneous substances. In addition to the usual publishing fare of primary research articles, case reports and letters, Drug Testing and Analysis offers a unique combination of; ‘How to’ material such as ‘Tutorials’ and ‘Reviews’, Speculative pieces (‘Commentaries’ and ‘Perspectives'', providing a broader scientific and social context to the aspects of analytical testing), ‘Annual banned substance reviews’ (delivering a critical evaluation of the methods used in the characterization of established and newly outlawed compounds). Rather than focus on the application of a single technique, Drug Testing and Analysis employs a unique multidisciplinary approach to the field of controversial compound determination. Papers discussing chromatography, mass spectrometry, immunological approaches, 1D/2D gel electrophoresis, to name just a few select methods, are welcomed where their application is related to any of the six key topics listed below.