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.

Results: GC-MS detected high levels of DEHP in stored red cells. However, values fell rapidly after the cells were reinfused, with only half of the samples exceeding a cut-off 4 SDs above the baseline 90 min postinfusion.

Conclusion: It was demonstrated that intact DEHP could be measured in red blood cells. Owing to its short window of detection, this approach seems to have limited utility in the context of antidoping.