Journal of Analytical Toxicology
July 11, 2016
Maria Nieddu, Lucia Burrai, Elena Baralla et al.
22 citations
Thirty new amphetamine designer drugs were tested for cross-reactivity with two commercial immunoassay kits (Neogen® Amphetamine Specific and Methamphetamine/MDMA assays) in whole blood, urine, and oral fluid. For most of the designer drugs, concentrations as high as 10,000 ng/mL failed to produce a positive response. This shows that while the kits work well for their target drugs—amphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA—they cannot reliably detect the tested designer drugs in real forensic cases because the required concentrations far exceed those typically found in biological samples.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
July 1, 2003
Peter Stout, K. L. Klette, Russell Wiegand
21 citations
Four immunoassays for detecting amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, and MDMA were tested on about 27,500 human urine samples and 7,000 control samples over eight days. The DRI ecstasy reagent detected about 23% more MDMA-positive samples than the ONLINE reagent and had a confirmation rate near 90%. The modified ONLINE reagent, which included sodium periodate and was calibrated with MDMA, performed poorly, with control failure rates up to 38.3% and no improved MDMA sensitivity. The DRI methamphetamine reagent had a low confirmation rate (6% or less) and frequently gave positive results for samples containing only ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
January 29, 2020
Xiuying Yan, Ping Xiang, Yunli Zhao et al.
20 citations
A method using gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry was developed to detect and measure the designer hallucinogen 5-MeO-DIPT in urine. Two metabolites, 5-OH-DIPT and 5-MeO-IPT, were identified in users' urine. The method accurately quantified 5-MeO-DIPT between 2 and 300 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 1 ng/mL. In drug abusers, urine concentrations ranged from 1 to 2.8 ng/mL. Stability testing showed that 5-MeO-DIPT concentration decreased by 22.8% after 24 hours at 25°C, 33.2% after 5 days at 4°C, and 38.2% after 7 days at 4°C, but was stable for 30 days at -20°C. Freezing urine samples is recommended for accurate analysis.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
April 1, 2008
K. Bjornstad, A. Helander, O. Beck
20 citations
A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method was developed to screen and confirm mescaline in human urine, with a detection limit of 3-5 micrograms per liter and an upper quantification limit of 10,000 micrograms per liter. The method proved sensitive and specific for routine testing. Among 462 urine samples from young people with alcohol or drug problems, 32% were positive for illicit drugs, but none for mescaline.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
June 1, 2009
Arthur C.k. Chung, J. Hudson, G Mckay
19 citations
A validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method can confirm and quantify lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and three of its metabolites—iso-LSD, nor-LSD, and O-H-LSD—in blood and urine. Detection limits are as low as 5 pg/mL in blood for LSD and iso-LSD, and 10 pg/mL in urine for all analytes. The method is linear, accurate, and precise across specified concentration ranges. Applied to samples from a suspected LSD user, it marks the first reported detection of O-H-LSD in blood.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
October 1, 1999
J. H. Sklerov, Kathryn S. Kalasinsky, C. A. Ehorn
19 citations
A confirmatory method using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) with an internal ionization ion trap detector can detect and quantify lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in urine. After a single-step solid-phase extraction of 5 mL of urine, underivatized LSD is measured with limits of quantitation and detection of 80 and 20 pg/mL, respectively. Temperature-programmed on-column injections show linearity over 20-2000 pg/mL (r² = 0.999). Intraday and interday coefficients of variation are below 6% and 13%, respectively. The method has been applied to quality-control specimens and LSD-positive samples, with comparisons to alternative GC-MS methods and extraction procedures.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
October 1, 1996
A. J. Mcnally, K. Goc-Szkutnicka, Z. Li et al.
17 citations
A new homogenous microparticle-based immunoassay (Abuscreen OnLine) detects LSD in human urine at a cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL, matching the sensitivity of the existing Abuscreen RIA. All 31 samples previously confirmed positive by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry also tested positive with both the OnLine and RIA assays. Among 1,000 presumed negative samples, 992 (99.2%) were negative; the 8 OnLine positives were negative by RIA. The assay shows greater than 35% cross-reactivity to nor-LSD and similar cross-reactivity to other related compounds as the RIA. Within-run precision was less than 2.5% and between-run precision less than 3.0%.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
January 21, 2020
Lidiane Silva Tavares, Fernanda Monedeiro, Dayanne Mozaner Bordin et al.
15 citations
Sweat can be used to detect the main active components of ayahuasca—harmine, harmaline, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)—during religious rituals. A solid-phase extraction method under basic conditions showed high selectivity and extraction efficiency above 70%, with accuracy between 87.5 and 102.4% and precision below 10%. Detection limits were 15 ng/patch for harmine and harmaline and 10 ng/patch for DMT. Sweat offers a non-invasive, simple collection alternative that does not disrupt rituals, making it a viable matrix for monitoring ayahuasca use.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
March 1, 2007
Lisa Wilson, Ahmed Jehanli, C. W. Hand et al.
15 citations
A new lateral flow test (Cozart RapiScan System) detects MDMA and methamphetamine in oral fluid with high accuracy. Among 370 oral fluid samples, 121 screened positive. Using a 45 ng/mL screening cutoff and 30 ng/mL confirmation cutoff, sensitivity was 96.6%, specificity 96.8%, and accuracy 96.8%. The test also cross-reacts with high levels of amphetamine, causing six false positives. Applying a 50 ng/mL confirmation cutoff improved sensitivity to 98.3%, specificity to 96.9%, and accuracy to 97.3%. Confirmatory testing by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified multiple amphetamines.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
October 1, 1996
N. P. Cassells, Derek H. Craston, C. W. Hand et al.
15 citations
A new microplate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) detects lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in human urine by having LSD in the sample compete with immobilized LSD for binding to rabbit anti-LSD antibodies. The assay requires only 25 microliters of urine and three incubation periods at room temperature. It showed no cross-reaction with other drugs, including ergot alkaloids at up to 100,000 ng/mL, and only slight cross-reactivity with ergonovine (0.0008%). Nor-LSD cross-reacted between 16% and 28%. At a qualitative cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL, precision testing gave a coefficient of variation of 6%.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
September 1, 1990
Lee M. Blum, E F Carenzo, Fredric Rieders
15 citations
A high-performance thin-layer chromatography method can detect less than one microgram of LSD per liter of urine after a single-step extraction with an alkaline wash. The technique is compared with radioimmunoassay for measuring LSD in urine.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
April 1, 2007
Sandra Valtier, Clyde F. Phelix, John T. Cody
14 citations
After a single neurotoxic dose (20 mg/kg) of MDMA given to male Dark Agouti rats, the drug and three of its metabolites—MDA, HMMA, and HMA—appeared in urine at different peak times: MDMA at 4 hours, MDA at 8 hours, HMMA at 12 hours, and HMA at 16 hours. All four compounds remained detectable in urine for up to 168 hours (detection limit 25 ng/mL). In plasma, MDMA and MDA peaked at 2 hours, HMMA at 4 hours, and HMA at 24 hours, but with high variability at that time point. No MDMA or metabolites were detectable in plasma at 96 or 168 hours (detection limit 10 ng/mL).
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
May 1, 2003
B.t. Burnley, Stephen A. George
14 citations
A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed to measure the 2-oxo-3-hydroxy metabolite of lysergic acid diethylamide in urine, with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL and quantitation limit of 1.0 ng/mL. The assay was linear from 0.5 to 50.0 ng/mL. Applied to 600 urine specimens from suspected LSD abusers in the West Midlands, U.K., only 25 screened positive by immunoassay, and 11 were confirmed by GC-MS. Concentrations in confirmed specimens ranged from 1.7 to 55.8 ng/mL. The method enables future audits of LSD abuse and helps distinguish drug misuse from organic disorders.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
June 1, 2006
K. L. Klette, A. R. Kettle, M. H. Jamerson
13 citations
Over four months, 85,658 urine specimens from applicants to the United States Armed Forces were screened for amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, and MDEA using two immunoassays. The Roche Online Amphetamine immunoassay flagged 216 specimens as presumptively positive; 70 confirmed positive for amphetamine and 87 for amphetamine and/or methamphetamine, a 73% confirmation rate. The Microgenics DRI Ecstasy immunoassay flagged eight specimens; five confirmed positive for MDMA and/or MDA, a 63% confirmation rate. The overall prevalence of any of these drugs in military entrance processing stations specimens was 0.19%.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
April 1, 2002
Thomas Grobosch, U. Lemm-Ahlers
13 citations
Of 3872 urine specimens screened for LSD with the CEDIA DAU assay, 48 were initially positive, but only 13 (27%) were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) after immunoaffinity extraction. The DPC Coat-a-Count RIA showed complete agreement with HPLC-FLD at concentrations below 500 pg/mL. Fifteen compounds—including ambroxol, diphenhydramine, amitriptyline, and lidocaine—were identified as causing false positives in the CEDIA assay. The IAE/HPLC-FLD method is rapid, reliable, and cost-effective for infrequent LSD analysis, and its chromatographic detection of LSD, nor-LSD, and iso-LSD is unaffected by these cross-reacting compounds even at 100 ng/mL.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
January 1, 1977
Daniel T. Teitelbaum, Dale C. Wingeleth
12 citations
A case of mescaline self-poisoning is described, with diagnosis and management based on clinical presentation and laboratory confirmation. The patient experienced severe hallucinations, agitation, and autonomic instability. Treatment involved supportive care, sedation, and gastric decontamination. The report emphasizes the importance of rapid identification and intervention in such poisonings.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
June 3, 2021
Lea Wagmann, Sascha K. Manier, Markus R. Meyer
11 citations
A non-fatal clinical case involving the synthetic tryptamine 4-HO-MET (metocin or methylcybin) was analyzed using blood plasma. Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS-MS) detected the parent compound and four metabolites—N-demethyl-, oxo-, hydroxy-4-HO-MET, and the N-oxide—while gas chromatography-mass spectrometry did not detect it. The plasma concentration of 4-HO-MET was 193 ng/mL. These findings provide data for clinical and forensic toxicologists interpreting future cases involving synthetic tryptamines, particularly when only blood samples are available.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
March 1, 2004
A. Miki, M. Katagi, N. Shima et al.
10 citations
A one-step immunoassay drug test originally designed for oral fluid can also screen for methamphetamine, MDMA, and MDEA in hair samples. Extracting a 10-milligram hair specimen with hydrochloric acid and methanol, then reconstituting the extract in water, allows the test to detect these drugs at limits of 0.5 ng/mg for methamphetamine, 0.8 ng/mg for MDMA, and 1.0 ng/mg for MDEA. Results match well with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry confirmation. While positive results require confirmation by a specific alternative method, this approach offers a simple, convenient screening tool for drug enforcement that uses only a small hair sample.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
October 2, 2020
Rachel Aakerøy, Wenche Rødseth Brede, Stian Bergseng Stølen et al.
9 citations
A young man with no prior medical issues had a seizure followed by cardiorespiratory arrest and severe neurological damage after taking a blotter containing 300 µg of LSD. A serum sample taken 3 hours later showed an LSD concentration of 4.0 ng/mL (12.4 nmol/L). No other drugs at significant levels or individual susceptibility factors were found. This suggests that LSD can cause toxic effects in otherwise healthy people.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
November 30, 2018
Jeffrey D Pope, Kay Weng Choy, Olaf H Drummer et al.
9 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional South American drink, produces hallucinogenic effects primarily through dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but DMT is short-lived and hard to detect in urine drug tests. This study tested a simpler detection method by targeting other drink components, the β-carboline harmala alkaloids. Three commercially available harmala alkaloids were characterized and added to a non-targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry urine drug screening method. Analyzing a urine sample from a patient suspected of ayahuasca consumption detected harmaline and tetrahydroharmaline (THH). Including harmala alkaloids in drug screen libraries may enable detection of ayahuasca use in patients undergoing non-targeted drug screening.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
August 29, 2023
Marilia Santoro Cardoso, Kelly Francisco da Cunha, Izabelly Geraldes Silva et al.
3 citations
Psilocin, the active compound produced when psilocybin from magic mushrooms is ingested, is unstable and oxidizes quickly, making its detection in biological samples challenging. A new method using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated to measure psilocin in oral fluid. The method requires only 100 microliters of sample, achieves detection limits of 0.05 ng/mL, and performs reliably with low bias and imprecision. Psilocin was stable in oral fluid at −20°C for 24 hours, at 4°C for 72 hours, and at 24°C for 24 hours, but degraded after three freeze-thaw cycles. Analysis of five authentic samples from party attendees found psilocin concentrations between 0.08 and 36.4 ng/mL, marking the first report of such measurements in oral fluid.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
May 26, 2025
Malik Schoffner, Vamshikrishna Reddy Sammeta, Marilyn Naeem et al.
2 citations
A liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to detect and quantify six 4-position ring-substituted tryptamines in plasma, including psilocybin, psilacetin, 4-Pro-DMT, and their metabolites psilocin and 4-HO-DPT. The method showed linearity from 0.5 to 100 ng/mL for most analytes (psilocybin from 5 to 100 ng/mL), with acceptable bias and imprecision. Matrix effects were minimal except for ion enhancement of psilocin and psilocybin. Extraction efficiency was about 50%. Applied to plasma from male rats given psilacetin, psilacetin was not detected, and psilocin concentrations ranged up to 32.7 ng/mL. The method provides a robust tool for future research and clinical applications.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
February 19, 2026
Marianne Skov-Skov Bergh, Inger Lise Bogen, Merete Vevelstad et al.
A new LC-MS/MS method simultaneously quantifies psilocin, bufotenin, and their metabolites in human whole blood, using protein precipitation and lipid removal filtration. Psilocin degrades rapidly—46-66% at room temperature and 66-76% at 4 °C after one day, reaching 88-100% loss by three days; at -20 °C, up to 51% is lost after one month and ≥91% after three months. In contrast, psilocin glucuronide (PSG) remains stable for 14 days at room temperature and 4 °C, and for at least one year at -20 °C, making it a reliable biomarker of psilocybin intake. Bufotenin shows moderate stability, while 5-HIAA is unsuitable due to endogenous presence. Analysis of 23 forensic blood samples confirmed PSG in nearly all cases, even when psilocin was below the limit of quantification.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
July 1, 2006
J. H. Sklerov, Barry Levine, Karla A. Moore et al.
The authors argue that a previously published case report on the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) lacks sufficient clarity regarding the chemical analysis and interpretation of results. They highlight the need for rigorous biochemical and analytical methods in forensic and clinical case reports involving psychedelic substances, emphasizing that ambiguous or incomplete data can lead to misinterpretation of the drug's effects on behavior and neurotransmitter systems. The paper calls for standardized reporting practices to ensure accurate understanding of such ingestions in medical and legal contexts.