W. Thormann et al., Multianalyte capillary electrophoresis assays for screening and confirmation of urinary drugs of abuse, J MICROCOL, 12(1), 2000, pp. 13-24
Screening for and confirmation of drugs of abuse in human urine is a timely
topic in which capillary separation techniques play a key role. Capillary
electrophoresis (CE) represents the newest technology employed in this fiel
d of analysis. Simple multianalyte electrokinetic capillary-based competiti
ve immunoassays, assays based upon drug extraction and achiral-chiral CE wi
th on-column multiwavelength detection, and a capillary electrophoresis-ion
trap mass spectrometry assay were developed. These techniques are shown to
comprise an analytical scheme beginning with presumptive immunological dru
g testing, followed by drug differentiation with spectral identification, a
nd ending with complete confirmatory drug testing that is based upon tandem
mass spectrometry. With data obtained from the urine of a polydrug abuser
who was found to have ingested amphetamine, methadone, and other drugs, the
suitability and limitations of the electrokinetic capillary methods for sc
reening and confirmation of urinary methadone, its metabolite 2-ethylidene-
1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine and amphetamine are discussed. CE coup
led to tandem mass spectrometry is further shown to represent a comprehensi
ve approach for analysis of other drugs in the patient urine. (C) 2000 John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.