Direct methods for distinction between endogenous and exogenous erythropoietin

Since the commercialization of the first recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) product (epoetin-a) in 1989 as a treatment for acute anemia, rhEPO detection has represented a continuous challenge for the anti-doping fight. Indeed, it appeared rapidly that this ergogenic hormone would be abused by athletes looking for an artificial performance enhancer. Hemoglobin is one of the principal modulators of aerobic power [1, 2] and, consequently, of performance in endurance sports [3]. By stimulating the red blood cells production, EPO is known to raise hemoglobin concentration in a dose-dependant and predictable way. Therefore, this hormone soon became one of the athletes most popular doping agent. Since 1984, all forms of blood doping in sport have been officially banned. In 1990, the IOC medical commission, which was in charge of the anti-doping regulations, added rhEPO to the list of the prohibited drugs in sports, even if a direct test allowing to detect the molecule became available a decade after only.