Integrity testing of hair samples

摘要

Methods for assessing the condition of keratinized structures, including hair, in particular methods to determine the condition of keratinized structures in relation to suitability for analysis of analytes of interest in a test sample, are presented. The methods comprise contacting the keratinized structure with a non-proteolytic reducing agent and an optional proteolytic agent. The methods further include inspection of the hair sample, or measurement of free protein eluted from the keratinized structure, after reduction and optional proteolysis to determine condition prior to analyte identification and quantitation by known techniques such as immunoassays.

主权项

1. A method for determining the presence or absence of a drug of abuse or metabolite thereof in a hair sample of a subject comprising:
providing a hair sample; contacting the hair sample with an aqueous solution comprising a reducing agent and a protease capable of digesting keratin to result in a test sample, wherein the contacting step occurs for a period of about 1 hour to about 2 hours; determining the amount of dissolved hair protein in the test sample using a protein assay; identifying the hair in the test sample as not suitable for drug analyte testing when the hair in the test sample has dissolved in the test sample more rapidly than the hair in a similarly contacted control sample; and if the hair in the test sample is not identified as not suitable for drug analyte testing, then determine if the drug of abuse or metabolite thereof is present or absent in the hair sample.