Sectional hair testing. Judicial and clinical applications*
Aristidis M. Tsatsakis** and Manolis Tzatzarakis
Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University
of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion 71409, Crete, Greece
Abstract: Modern sophisticated analytical tools have enabled
toxicologists to investigate hair specimens for the presence of drugs.
Although great sensitivity and specificity in hair analysis have been
already achieved, some concerns about bias due to hair color, lack of
reference materials, and dose versus concentration relationship make
the quantitative data sometimes debatable. The most commonly held opinion
in this field nowadays indicates that hair analysis has sufficient scientific
validity. Experts should always be aware and take into account limitations
of hair analysis results and its evaluation. Unresolved scientific issues,
however, should not obstruct the admissibility of strongly positive
test results. Recent applications of hair testing include forensic investigations,
epidemiological studies, gestational drug exposure, legal issues, clinical
drug monitoring, and historical research. In this paper, the use of
sectional hair tests to assess exposure to drugs of abuse (evaluation
of toxicomania) and to assess compliance with carbamazepine, phenytoin
and valproic acid therapy regime is presented. We conclude that hair
drug versus time profiles give strong evidence that confirm chronic
abuse, the diagnosis of drugs of abuse poisoning, and the state of addiction
(toxicomania). Additionally, they may be used as a marker of the dosage
history and the compliance of patients under long-term treatment with
carbamazepine and phenytoin.
*Lectures presented
at the 4th Congress of Toxicology in Developing Countries (4th CTOX-DC),
Antalya, Turkey, 6-10 November 1999
**Corresponding author
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