Study of endogenous profile of hCG in male Brazilian athletes

• Published in: Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 528 - 531
• Main Authors: Pereira, Henrique M. G., Ramos, Sandra B., Dal Sasso, Marco Aurélio, Poças, Elisa S. C., Padilha, Mônica C., Gomes, Luis Nelson F., Aquino Neto, Francisco R. de
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 2008
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; cut off value; human chorionic gonadotrophin; doping control; immunoassay
• ISSN: 0103-5053; 1678-4790
• DOI: 10.1590/S0103-50532008000300021

In the world of performance enhancing drugs, human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) is increasingly used alone and also in combination with various Anabolic Androgenic Steroid cycles. In males, hCG mimics luteinizing hormone (LH) and helps increase testosterone production in the testes. As such, hCG is commonly used during and after steroid cycles to maintain and restore testicular size as well as endogenous testosterone production. Doping control for hCG requires special attention since a difference must be made between the endogenous and exogenous origin of both substances. In the absence of a clearer pattern of what would be an expected level of normality, the doping control laboratories have been applying cut off values between 5 and 25 mUI/mL. Because of the large differences in assay design and specificity for different forms of hCG, the concentrations measured are highly dependent on the assay used and population analyzed. The aim of the study is the establishment of a cut off value for the characterization of exogenous misuse by athletes obtained with the usage of Microparticles Enzyme Immunoassays.