ArticleDrug testing and analysis2026
CERA Detection and Stability in Blood Versus Urine.
Article in Drug testing and analysis, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparison of Dried Blood Spot Sampling Methods for RNA-Based Biomarker Measurement in Anti-Doping.Drug testing and analysis · 2026Article
- CERA Detection and Stability in Blood Versus Urine.Drug testing and analysis · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Erythropoietin receptor agonists (ERAs), including continuous erythropoietin receptor activators (CERAs), are potent blood doping substances used to enhance endurance performance by stimulating erythropoiesis. While traditionally detected through direct analysis of urine or serum samples using sarcosyl-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SAR-PAGE) and western blotting, the slow urinary elimination of third-generation ERAs like CERA has shifted anti-doping strategies toward serum-based detection. This study compared the detectability and stability of CERA in urine and serum matrices and evaluated the added value of combining direct detection with hematological profiling. Using samples from a controlled CERA administration study and an authentic case example, we assessed CERA detection in serum, urine, and simulated dried blood spot (DBS) matrices (Tasso-M20). Additionally, we conducted stability experiments by incubating spiked matrices at 37°C for up to 72 h. Our results confirmed the superior stability and consistent detectability of CERA in serum and DBS compared with urine. Moreover, hematological alterations such as increased reticulocytes percentage flagged by the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) supported targeted serum testing, leading to the successful detection of CERA. These findings highlight the importance of systematic blood collection for both direct and indirect detection strategies. Furthermore, DBS samples showed promising analytical performance and resistance to elevated temperature, suggesting their utility as minimally invasive alternatives in anti-doping programs. Overall, our study reinforces the relevance of blood matrices in the detection of CERA and advocates for the broader integration of blood-based strategies in targeting doping practices with ERAs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.