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Imaging of methamphetamine incorporated into hair by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

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Abstract

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)–time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was used for visual demonstration of methamphetamine (MA) incorporation into human hair. Longitudinal sections of human scalp hair shafts from chronic MA users were directly subjected to imaging MS. Numerous MA-positive spots with various intensities were observed in the specimens, which probably reflect habitual MA abuse and the different MA blood levels upon each administration. This imaging MS method for drugs in hair seems to give much more accurate chronological information on drug use, and clearer discrimination between deliberate drug use and passive exposure, using only a single hair shaft. This is the first report of imaging MS applied to forensic toxicology. This method is expected open a new field in analyses of drugs in hair.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Prof. Sumio Sugimura, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Prof. Thomas Keller, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Salzburg University, and Dr. Takashi Nirasawa and Dr. Kazunori Saito, Bruker Daltonics, for their useful suggestions and expertise. The authors also acknowledge financial support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant No. 22929017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forensic Science Laboratory, Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, 1-3-18 Hommachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 541-0053, Japan

    Akihiro Miki, Munehiro Katagi, Noriaki Shima, Hiroe Kamata & Michiaki Tatsuno

  2. Department of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan

    Toyofumi Nakanishi & Takayuki Takubo

  3. Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan

    Hitoshi Tsuchihashi & Koichi Suzuki

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  1. Akihiro Miki
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  2. Munehiro Katagi
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  3. Noriaki Shima
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  4. Hiroe Kamata
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  5. Michiaki Tatsuno
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  6. Toyofumi Nakanishi
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  7. Hitoshi Tsuchihashi
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  8. Takayuki Takubo
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  9. Koichi Suzuki
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Correspondence to Akihiro Miki.

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Miki, A., Katagi, M., Shima, N. et al. Imaging of methamphetamine incorporated into hair by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Forensic Toxicol 29, 111–116 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-011-0109-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-011-0109-2

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