Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication
Carfentanil, one of the most potent opioids known, has recently been reported as a contaminant in street heroin in the United States and Europe, and is associated with an increased number of life-threatening emergency department admissions and deaths. Here, we report on the application of a novel in...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-05-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2018.00486/full |
id |
doaj-d22bc7525e2143b38dc53fd3d6f7e1fa |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-d22bc7525e2143b38dc53fd3d6f7e1fa2020-11-24T23:47:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122018-05-01910.3389/fphar.2018.00486346152Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil IntoxicationAnnelies Cannaert0Annelies Cannaert1Lars Ambach2Peter Blanckaert3Christophe P. Stove4Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumLaboratory of Toxicology, National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology, Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumBelgian Early Warning System on Drugs, Drugs Program, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumCarfentanil, one of the most potent opioids known, has recently been reported as a contaminant in street heroin in the United States and Europe, and is associated with an increased number of life-threatening emergency department admissions and deaths. Here, we report on the application of a novel in vitro opioid activity reporter assay and a sensitive bioanalytical assay in the context of a fatal carfentanil intoxication, revealing the highest carfentanil concentrations reported until now. A 21-year-old male was found dead at home with a note stating that he had taken carfentanil with suicidal intentions. A foil bag and plastic bag labeled “C.50” were found at the scene. These bags were similar to a sample obtained by the Belgian Early Warning System on Drugs from a German darknet shop and to those found in the context of a fatality in Norway. Blood, urine and vitreous, obtained during autopsy, were screened with a newly developed in vitro opioid activity reporter assay able to detect compounds based on their μ-opioid receptor activity rather than their chemical structure. All extracts showed strong opioid activity. Results were confirmed by a bioanalytical assay, which revealed extremely high concentrations for carfentanil and norcarfentanil. It should be noted that carfentanil concentrations are typically in pg/mL, but here they were 92 ng/mL in blood, 2.8 ng/mL in urine, and 23 ng/mL in vitreous. The blood and vitreous contained 0.532 and 0.300 ng/mL norcarfentanil, respectively. No norcarfentanil was detected in urine. This is the first report where a novel activity-based opioid screening assay was successfully deployed in a forensic case. Confirmation and quantification using a validated bioanalytical procedure revealed the, to our knowledge, highest carfentanil concentrations reported in humans so far.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2018.00486/fullsynthetic opioidsuntargeted screeningactivity-basedbioassaycarfentanilLC–MS/MS |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Annelies Cannaert Annelies Cannaert Lars Ambach Peter Blanckaert Christophe P. Stove |
spellingShingle |
Annelies Cannaert Annelies Cannaert Lars Ambach Peter Blanckaert Christophe P. Stove Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication Frontiers in Pharmacology synthetic opioids untargeted screening activity-based bioassay carfentanil LC–MS/MS |
author_facet |
Annelies Cannaert Annelies Cannaert Lars Ambach Peter Blanckaert Christophe P. Stove |
author_sort |
Annelies Cannaert |
title |
Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication |
title_short |
Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication |
title_full |
Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication |
title_fullStr |
Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication |
title_full_unstemmed |
Activity-Based Detection and Bioanalytical Confirmation of a Fatal Carfentanil Intoxication |
title_sort |
activity-based detection and bioanalytical confirmation of a fatal carfentanil intoxication |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Pharmacology |
issn |
1663-9812 |
publishDate |
2018-05-01 |
description |
Carfentanil, one of the most potent opioids known, has recently been reported as a contaminant in street heroin in the United States and Europe, and is associated with an increased number of life-threatening emergency department admissions and deaths. Here, we report on the application of a novel in vitro opioid activity reporter assay and a sensitive bioanalytical assay in the context of a fatal carfentanil intoxication, revealing the highest carfentanil concentrations reported until now. A 21-year-old male was found dead at home with a note stating that he had taken carfentanil with suicidal intentions. A foil bag and plastic bag labeled “C.50” were found at the scene. These bags were similar to a sample obtained by the Belgian Early Warning System on Drugs from a German darknet shop and to those found in the context of a fatality in Norway. Blood, urine and vitreous, obtained during autopsy, were screened with a newly developed in vitro opioid activity reporter assay able to detect compounds based on their μ-opioid receptor activity rather than their chemical structure. All extracts showed strong opioid activity. Results were confirmed by a bioanalytical assay, which revealed extremely high concentrations for carfentanil and norcarfentanil. It should be noted that carfentanil concentrations are typically in pg/mL, but here they were 92 ng/mL in blood, 2.8 ng/mL in urine, and 23 ng/mL in vitreous. The blood and vitreous contained 0.532 and 0.300 ng/mL norcarfentanil, respectively. No norcarfentanil was detected in urine. This is the first report where a novel activity-based opioid screening assay was successfully deployed in a forensic case. Confirmation and quantification using a validated bioanalytical procedure revealed the, to our knowledge, highest carfentanil concentrations reported in humans so far. |
topic |
synthetic opioids untargeted screening activity-based bioassay carfentanil LC–MS/MS |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2018.00486/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT anneliescannaert activitybaseddetectionandbioanalyticalconfirmationofafatalcarfentanilintoxication AT anneliescannaert activitybaseddetectionandbioanalyticalconfirmationofafatalcarfentanilintoxication AT larsambach activitybaseddetectionandbioanalyticalconfirmationofafatalcarfentanilintoxication AT peterblanckaert activitybaseddetectionandbioanalyticalconfirmationofafatalcarfentanilintoxication AT christophepstove activitybaseddetectionandbioanalyticalconfirmationofafatalcarfentanilintoxication |
_version_ |
1725490922103242752 |