JOURNAL ARTICLE

Underreporting of synthetic cathinone poisoning with clinical immunoassays: An experimental and observational study.

  • Published In: Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2025, v. 62, n. 6. P. 440 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Willeman, Théo; Laudet, Mathis; Revol, Bruno; Boudin, Coralie; Eysseric-Guerin, Hélène; Scolan, Virginie; Stanke-Labesque, Françoise 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on the interference of synthetic cathinones (SCs) in immunoassay toxicology screening for amphetamines and MDMA using the Enzyme-Multiplied Immunoassay Technique (EMIT®) by Siemens Healthineers. The study combined in vitro experiments and retrospective analysis of 2,033 urine samples from patients in intensive care and emergency settings, revealing that SCs caused false-positive results in 16.3% of amphetamine and 17.1% of MDMA immunoassays. Specific SCs such as methylone, 3-chloromethcathinone (3-CMC), and 2-methylmethcathinone (2-MMC) were identified as sources of cross-reactivity, predominantly affecting young male patients. The findings highlight that reliance solely on immunoassays may lead to underreporting of SC intoxication, and confirmatory testing by mass spectrometry is recommended for accurate diagnosis.

Additional Information

  • Source:Annals of Clinical Biochemistry. 2025/11, Vol. 62, Issue 6, p440
  • Document Type:Case Study
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0004-5632
  • DOI:10.1177/00045632251331404
  • Accession Number:188884239
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Annals of Clinical Biochemistry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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