{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,11]],"date-time":"2026-07-11T04:26:17Z","timestamp":1783743977541,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]],"date-time":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1594684800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Commission for the Monitoring and Control of Doping and the Protection of Health in Sporting Activities (Italian Ministry of Health)","award":["J52I14001600005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["J52I14001600005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Testing and monitoring anabolic androgenic steroids in biological fluids is a key activity in anti-doping practices. In this study, a novel approach is proposed, based on dried urine microsampling through two different workflows: dried urine spots (DUS) and volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS). Both techniques can overcome some common drawbacks of urine sampling, such as analyte instability and storage and transportation problems. Using an original, validated liquid chromatography\u2013tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS\/MS) method, exogenous and endogenous unconjugated steroids were analysed. Despite the limitations of microsampling volume, good sensitivity was obtained (limit of quantitation \u22641.5 ng\/mL for all analytes), with satisfactory precision (relative standard deviation &lt;7.6%) and absolute recovery (&gt;70.3%). Both microsampling platforms provide reliable results, in good agreement with those obtained from urine.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules25143210","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,22]],"date-time":"2020-07-22T05:10:30Z","timestamp":1595394630000},"page":"3210","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["Dried Urine Microsampling Coupled to Liquid Chromatography\u2014Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC\u2013MS\/MS) for the Analysis of Unconjugated Anabolic Androgenic Steroids"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9310-4957","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele","family":"Protti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis (PTA Lab), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Camilla","family":"Marasca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis (PTA Lab), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Cirrincione","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis (PTA Lab), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angelo E.","family":"Sberna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport Medicine, Enna Local Health Unit, 94100 Enna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9631-591X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberto","family":"Mandrioli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0644-9461","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Mercolini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis (PTA Lab), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38e9","DOI":"10.2174\/1874387000802010038","article-title":"Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse: Not only an elite performance issue?","volume":"2","author":"Baker","year":"2008","journal-title":"Open Sports Med. 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