The Athlete Biological Passport: an integral element of innovative strategies in antidoping

Abstract

Concern for the health of athletes and integrity of sport resulted in the banning of specific substances although many years passed before analytical testing took place. Soon doping control programmes became synonymous with urine tests and adverse analytical findings. This system has its limits due to the detection window of prohibited substances, the timing of sample collections and the sophistication of some doping regimens. There have been a number of situations where these limits were demonstrated by athletes who proclaimed innocence based on passing their analytical tests only to later confess to doping. New strategies were called for to protect clean athletes. In the current World Anti-Doping Code, there are eight means to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Article 2.2 states that the use of a prohibited substance may be established by any reliable means including witness statements, documentary evidence or evaluations of longitudinal profiling. In 2006, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with the support of some International Federations (IFs) gathered a group of experts to develop a harmonised programme on longitudinal profiling, or serial analysis of indirect biomarkers of doping, that was both scientifically and legally robust. This culminated in the WADA Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) Operating Guidelines and Technical Documents, published in 2009. The ABP is a paradigm that infers the use of prohibited substance (or method) by the monitoring of discriminant biomarkers over time. The haematological module detects blood manipulation by the use of erythropoietic stimulating agents or via blood transfusions. The steroidal module aims to identify endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids when administered exogenously and other indirect steroid doping substances or methods. Other ABP modules (endocrine, 'omics') are being developed. The term passport, first coined in 2000, is now defined in the ABP Guidelines as the longitudinal profile and all other relevant information including training, competitions and information derived from investigations. In the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code, investigations or enquiries gathered from other sources will play an even more prominent role.

Urinary steroid profile in females – the impact of menstrual cycle and emergency contraceptives

“…[1,2] The ABP steroidal module consists of the urinary concentrations of testosterone (T), epitestosterone (E), androsterone (A), etiocholanolone (Etio), 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol (5α-diol) and 5β-androstan-3α,17β-diol (5β-diol), as well as the T/E, T/A, A/Etio, 5α-diol/5β-diol and 5α-diol/E ratios. [1,2] The ABP steroidal module consists of the urinary concentrations of testosterone (T), epitestosterone (E), androsterone (A), etiocholanolone (Etio), 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol (5α-diol) and 5β-androstan-3α,17β-diol (5β-diol), as well as the T/E, T/A, A/Etio, 5α-diol/5β-diol and 5α-diol/E ratios.…”

Intelligence‐based anti‐doping from an equine biological passport

“…In human sports anti‐doping the ABP has provided a more effective testing programme focused on individuals with abnormal biomarker profiles. This resulted in a doubling of positive analytical findings for erythropoietin in the early years of the ABP and more than 40 direct sanctions without the benefit of an adverse analytical finding …”

Potential detection of low‐dose transdermal testosterone administration in blood, urine, and saliva

“…Therefore, only urine and saliva concentrations were used for further analyses. [27,28] Most likely, these outliers resulted from cross-contamination of the saliva by blood.…”