Morphine to codeine concentration ratio in blood and urine as a marker of illicit heroin use in forensic autopsy samples

Forensic Science International

Volumn 217, Issue 1-3, 2012, Pages 216-221

  Konstantinova, Svetlana V ^a   Normann, Per T ^a   Arnestad, Marianne ^a   Karinen, Ritva ^a   Christophersen, Asbjørg S ^a   Mørland, Jørg ^a  

^a NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH   (Norway)

Author keywords

6 Monoacetyl morphine; Forensic autopsy; Heroin; Morphine to codeine ratio; Toxicology

Indexed keywords

CODEINE; DIAMORPHINE; MORPHINE; MORPHINE 6 ACETATE;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGE; ANALYTIC METHOD; ARTICLE; AUTOPSY; DRUG BLOOD LEVEL; DRUG EXPOSURE; DRUG URINE LEVEL; FEMALE; FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY; GENDER; HEROIN DEPENDENCE; HUMAN; LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY; MALE; MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHY; MASS SPECTROMETRY; NORWAY; PRIORITY JOURNAL;

EID: 84858798084     PISSN: 03790738     EISSN: 18726283     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.11.007     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. Bjornaas M.A., Bekken A.S., Ojlert A., Haldorsen T., Jacobsen D., Rostrup M., Ekeberg O. A 20-year prospective study of mortality and causes of death among hospitalized opioid addicts in Oslo. BMC Psychiatry 2008, 8:8.
2. Bjornaas M.A., Teige B., Hovda K.E., Ekeberg O., Heyerdahl F., Jacobsen D. Fatal poisonings in Oslo: a one-year observational study. BMC Emerg. Med. 2010, 10:13.
3. Fugelstad A., Ahlner J., Brandt L., Ceder G., Eksborg S., Rajs J., Beck O. Use of morphine and 6-monoacetylmorphine in blood for the evaluation of possible risk factors for sudden death in 192 heroin users. Addiction 2003, 98:463-470.
4. Wyman J., Bultman S. Postmortem distribution of heroin metabolites in femoral blood, liver, cerebrospinal fluid, and vitreous humor. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2004, 28:260-263.
5. Butzbach D.M. The influence of putrefaction and sample storage on post-mortem toxicology results. Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 2010, 6:35-45.
6. Rook E.J., Huitema A.D., van den Brink W., van Ree J.M., Beijnen J.H. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic variability of heroin and its metabolites: review of the literature. Curr. Clin. Pharmacol. 2006, 1:109-118.
7. Al-Asmari A.I., Anderson R.A. Method for quantification of opioids and their metabolites in autopsy blood by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2007, 31:394-408.
8. Bogusz M.J., Maier R.D., Erkens M., Kohls U. Detection of non-prescription heroin markers in urine with liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2001, 25:431-438.
9. Karinen R., Andersen J.M., Ripel A., Hasvold I., Hopen A.B., Morland J., Christophersen A.S. Determination of heroin and its main metabolites in small sample volumes of whole blood and brain tissue by reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2009, 33:345-350.
10. Berg T., Lundanes E., Christophersen A.S., Strand D.H. Determination of opiates and cocaine in urine by high pH mobile phase reversed phase UPLC-MS/MS. J. Chromatogr. B: Anal. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. 2009, 877:421-432.
11. Oiestad E.L., Johansen U., Oiestad A.M., Christophersen A.S. Drug screening of whole blood by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2011, 35:280-293.
12. Verstraete A.G. Detection times of drugs of abuse in blood, urine, and oral fluid. Ther. Drug Monit. 2004, 26:200-205.
13. Ceder G., Jones A.W. Concentration ratios of morphine to codeine in blood of impaired drivers as evidence of heroin use and not medication with codeine. Clin. Chem. 2001, 47:1980-1984.
14. Moriya F., Chan K.M., Hashimoto Y. Concentrations of morphine and codeine in urine of heroin abusers. Leg. Med. (Tokyo) 1999, 1:140-144.
15. Jones A.W., Holmgren A., Kugelberg F.C. Driving under the influence of opiates: concentration relationships between morphine, codeine, 6-acetyl morphine, and ethyl morphine in blood. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2008, 32:265-272.
16. Drummer O.H., Odell M. Toxicology. Opioids. The Forensic Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse 2001, 249-260. O.H. Drummer, M. Odell (Eds.).
17. Hsu C.L., Hung D.Z., Yang D.Y. The effect of codeine in anti-cough syrup on morphine screen. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Taipei) 2002, 65:279-284.
18. Lötsch, Rohrbacher M., Schmidt H., Doehring A., Brockmöller J., Geisslinger G. Can extremely low or high morphine formation from codeine be predicted prior to therapy initiation?. Pain 2009, 144:119-124.
19. Liao Q., Deng Y., Xie Z., Pan B., Zhang L. Rapid simultaneous determination of codeine and morphine in plasma using LC-ESI-MS/MS: application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study. J. Sep. Sci. 2009, 32:202-211.
20. Quiding H., Anderson P., Bondesson U., Boreus L.O., Hynning P.A. Plasma concentrations of codeine and its metabolite, morphine, after single and repeated oral administration. Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1986, 30:673-677.
21. Quiding H., Olsson G.L., Boreus L.O., Bondesson U. Infants and young children metabolise codeine to morphine. A study after single and repeated rectal administration. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1992, 33:45-49.
22. He Y.J., Brockmoller J., Schmidt H., Roots I., Kirchheiner J. CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolism and morphine/codeine ratios in blood: was it codeine or heroin?. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2008, 32:178-182.
23. Maurer H.H., Sauer C., Theobald D.S. Toxicokinetics of drugs of abuse: current knowledge of the isoenzymes involved in the human metabolism of tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, heroin, morphine, and codeine. Ther. Drug Monit. 2006, 28:447-453.
24. Meyer M.R., Maurer H.H. Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion pharmacogenomics of drugs of abuse. Pharmacogenomics 2011, 12:215-233.
25. Jones A.W., Holmgren A. Concentration ratios of free-morphine to free-codeine in femoral blood in heroin-related poisoning deaths. Leg. Med. (Tokyo) 2011, 13:171-173.
26. Gjerde H., Christophersen A.S., Skuterud B., Klemetsen K., Morland J. Screening for drugs in forensic blood samples using EMIT urine assays. Forensic Sci. Int. 1990, 44:179-185.
27. Gjerde H., Fongen U., Gundersen H., Christophersen A.S. Evaluation of a method for simultaneous quantification of codeine, ethylmorphine and morphine in blood. Forensic Sci. Int. 1991, 51:105-110.
28. Drummer O.H. Postmortem toxicology of drugs of abuse. Forensic Sci. Int. 2004, 142:101-113.
29. Schulz M., Schmoldt A. Therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of more than 800 drugs and other xenobiotics. Pharmazie 2003, 58:447-474.
30. Gerostamoulos J., Drummer O.H. Postmortem redistribution of morphine and its metabolites. J. Forensic Sci. 2000, 45:843-845.
31. Stead A.H., Moffat A.C. A collection of therapeutic, toxic and fatal blood drug concentrations in man. Hum. Toxicol. 1983, 2:437-464.
32. Druid H., Holmgren P. A compilation of fatal and control concentrations of drugs in postmortem femoral blood. J. Forensic Sci. 1997, 42:79-87.