Relevance of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate blood levels for blood transfusion detection.

Background: A method to detect the banned use of blood transfusions by athletes has proven elusive. In this article, we investigate the utility of analyzing contaminant levels in stored blood as a possible marker. The presence of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was measured in red blood cells collected from transfused subjects.