Use of ion trap gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for detection and confirmation of anabolic substances at trace levels in doping analysis

A procedure for detecting and confirming 23 anabolic substances and/or metabolites has been developed using a GC-MS-MS ion trap system in full-scan mode. The process used to select the precursor ion, and the optimization of the system parameters used to obtain the daughter ion spectra, are explained. Urine samples were prepared using solid-phase extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis, and after TMS derivatives had been formed, they were injected into the mass spectrometer. This method permits confirmation of the presence of anabolic substances at low ng ml(-1) levels without the need of further purification procedures on the samples. This procedure has been used on more than 2000 urine samples collected from sporting competitions and has made it possible to confirm more than 45 true positive cases which could not have been confirmed using routine GC-MS methods. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.