{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T19:47:41Z","timestamp":1791575261629,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]],"date-time":"2022-07-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658793600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"For.Med.Lab., Forensic Medicine and Laboratory S.R.L. of Macerata"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aimed to investigate the detection of morphine in fingernails from forensic autopsies using immunohistochemistry (IHC), with confirmation by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). A primary antibody specific to morphine and a secondary antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used. IHC on specimens of Subjects A and B (both drug addicts) resulted in the detection of morphine on a cell layer of the nail plate matrix. UHPLC-HRMS and GC-MS analysis showed that Subject A had a morphine concentration of 0.35 ng\/mg in the fingernail and 472 ng\/mL in the blood, while Subject B reached 1.23 ng\/mg in the fingernail and 360 ng\/ml in the blood. Most of those matrices were positive for codeine, methadone, EDDP, and 6-MAM. The use of IHC in Subject C (a former addict) showed no positivity for morphine in the fingernail, while the UHPLC-HRMS analysis confirmed its absence in the fingernail and blood. Additionally, an analysis of the scalp or pubic hair of the subjects was carried out using UHPLC-HRMS. The results suggest that IHC can be used to establish the site of accumulation of morphine in the nail matrix; for postmortem diagnosis; and that basic substances can be detected by UHPLC-HRMS. There are no previous studies on the use of IHC as a technique for forensic purposes in unconventional matrices, such as nails.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxics10080420","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]],"date-time":"2022-07-29T01:41:16Z","timestamp":1659058876000},"page":"420","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Detection of Morphine and Opioids in Fingernails: Immunohistochemical Analysis and Confirmation with Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Roberto","family":"Scendoni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emanuele","family":"Bury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9463-1054","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erika","family":"Buratti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rino","family":"Froldi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0227-7789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Cippitelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7554-8378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gianmario","family":"Mietti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1916-1819","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariano","family":"Cingolani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2189","DOI":"10.4155\/bio.14.165","article-title":"Nails: An adequate alternative matrix in forensic toxicology for drug analysis?","volume":"6","author":"Baumgartner","year":"2014","journal-title":"Bioanalysis"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.2165\/00003088-200038020-00001","article-title":"Drugs in nails: Physiology, pharmacokinetics and forensic toxicology","volume":"38","author":"Palmeri","year":"2000","journal-title":"Clin. 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