Why is it difficult to detect erythropoietin?

Asked by: David Souza

“Blood doping can be achieved either via blood transfusion or EPO injections. The performance enhancing material is the blood itself, or a hormone (EPO) that is naturally produced by the body. This is why it can be so difficult to detect,” says Dr Caillaud.

Is EPO easy to detect?

Blood-boosting drugs like EPO, if injected, are only detectable in the urine or blood for a short window of time.

How can erythropoietin be detected?

World Anti‐Doping Agency methods for detection of recombinant human erythropoietin were evaluated in cyclists. Detection in urine by sarcosyl‐PAGE had a sensitivity of 63.8% and isoelectric focusing of 58.6%, sensitivity peaked between 2 and 6 days after dosing, rapidly dropping outside this window.

How long can EPO be detected?

The criteria for suspicious blood and urine samples by IEF were also re-evaluated. While endogenous EPO was not decreased over the course of the study, EPO microdoses were detectable in blood and urine between 24 h and 72 h after an administration.

What are the disadvantages of erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin can increase the risk of having a stroke. Signs of a stroke include: weakness or numbness in one side of your body. slurred speech or drooping of your face, mouth or eye.

Why is erythropoietin banned in sport?

The drug erythropoietin, often called EPO, is banned from sports because it is believed to enhance an athlete’s performance and give people who use it an unfair advantage over unenhanced competitors.

How effective is EPO?

Improves 3-K time by 6%; effects last at least four weeks. A new and nicely designed study of EPO’s effect on distance runners has shown that four weeks of every-other-day injections improves 3000-meter running time by an average of 6%.

How is EPO tested in athletes?

Since 2002, EPO tests in the United States were undertaken using only urine; however, in recent years the joint testing methods, such as direct EPO testing in urine and use of indirect markers in blood tests as part of the Athlete Biological Passport have been used to help identify the use of newly-developed …

What is isoelectric point of erythropoietin?

The Epo test that has eventually been adopted by WADA is based on differences in the extent of glycosylation, resulting in distinct sets of isoelectric points (pI) that can be detected by IEF [26]. Endogenous human Epo has a pI range of 3.7–4.7.

How does erythropoietin increase red blood cells?

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that is produced predominantly by specialised cells called interstitial cells in the kidney. Once it is made, it acts on red blood cells to protect them against destruction. At the same time it stimulates stem cells of the bone marrow to increase the production of red blood cells.

How is erythropoietin abused?

EPO should be used carefully according to guidelines as unsolicited use can result in serious adverse effects. Because of its capacity to improve oxygenation, it has been abused by athletes participating in endurance sports and detecting this has proved to be a challenge.

Why might elite athletes abuse erythropoietin EPO quizlet?

Athletes using EPO do so to encourage their bodies to produce higher than normal amounts of red blood cells to enhance performance.

Why do people use erythropoietin?

Epo is used to treat anemia, a shortage of red blood cells. Since red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues and organs, anemia causes symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

Which part of kidney produces erythropoietin?

The critmeter is found at the tip of the juxtamedullary region of the cortical labyrinth in the kidney, where erythropoietin is made physiologically.

Does erythropoietin increase hemoglobin?

Erythropoietin treatment elevates haemoglobin concentration by increasing red cell volume and depressing plasma volume.

When is erythropoietin secreted?

When blood oxygen concentration is normal (normoxia), synthesis of erythropoietin occurs in scattered cells located predominantly in the inner cortex, but under conditions when blood oxygen is deficient (hypoxia), interstitial cells within almost all zones of the kidney begin to produce the hormone.

What stimulates the secretion of erythropoietin?

Epo secretion is stimulated by hypoxia, which is detected by an oxygen sensor located in the kidney. This oxygen sensor has been recently shown to be an heme protein.

What stimulates the release of erythropoietin?

Lack of O₂ (hypoxia) is a stimulus for the synthesis of erythropoietin (Epo), primarily in the kidneys.