AEME production in cocaine positive hair after thermal hair treatment

Introduction: Currently, hair straightening has become a regular hair treatment for women but likewise for men. Several studies have shown that thermal straightening has an influence on the concentration of ethyl glucuronide and of drugs of abuse content in hair. Heat treatment of hair may decrease concentrations of cocaine (COC) and of cocaethylene (CE) in hair and increase concentrations of benzoylecgonine (BZE). The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of thermal straightening on anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), a known cocaine smoking marker, in hair. Method: 42 positive COC hair samples were treated in vitro with iron plates heated to 200 degrees C. During this treatment one lock of hair was put sequentially 30 times in contact with a hair straightener during 2 s, the other lock was not treated. The hair samples were analyzed by a validated GC/MS method for AEME, COC and its metabolites BZE, norcocaine (NC), ecgonine methyl ester (EME) and CE. Results: After treatment, a median increase of concentrations was observed for AEME (110.3%) and BZE (27.6%) whereas a median decrease was found for COC (56.9%), NC (46.7%), EME (33.3%) and CE (41.7%). The median BZE/COC ratio of 0.6 in not treated hair increased to 1.5 in treated hair. Conclusion: Regarding our in vitro results, AEME may be produced by thermal hair straightening. Therefore, the presence of AEME in hair should not be used as an irrefutable prove of cocaine smoking. Our study shows that for the interpretation of AEME results in hair, potential heat treatment of hair should be considered. A ratio BZE/COC higher 1 appears to be a good marker to identify thermal treatment of hair before collection. Finally, thermal straightening should be documented during hair collection and should also be considered for the interpretation of COC results in hair. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.