EPO test unreliable?

[my2cents]

EPO test called into question

I hope this makes some of you consider your blanket accusations that 'all cyclists' dope or 'he got caught red handed and there is no possibility of innocence', etc. All pro cyclists may indeed dope (I don't think so, infact, I'm pretty much convinced that many of the most successful riders don't cheat, but if and when reliable science indicates that I'm wrong, I will willing reconsider my opinion) and everyone he tests positive for something may indeed be guilty. But since the type of testing now being conducted is relatively new and the tests are taking place on a very small percentage of the population that is often genetically gifted and therefore possible different from the 'masses', it seems logical (perhaps even scientific?) to assume/reason that it will take a while to develop truly reliable tests, where false positives are statistically insignificant. I think this also reflects poorly on the uci/wada/pound if they knew of the test's inadequacies, which in turn lends credence to tyler hamilton's assertion that the uci/wada/pound knowingly and willing conduct grossly/deeply/marginally? flawed tests and penalize riders when the likelihood of false positives is real.


Researchers at the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium (KUL) have cast doubt on the EPO-detecting urine test currently in use by the UCI. The researchers say that the test in potentially unreliable because it traces too many types of protein, leading to the risk of a false positive. After a race it is possible for athlete to excrete some of the proteins detected by the test, causing a positive result without the use of EPO.

World-Anti-Doping Agency researchers in Germany are working on an improved version of the test.

The KUL researchers looked into the test at the request of Belgian triathlete Rutger Beke who tested positive for EPO at a race in Knokke last year. Beke denied having used EPO and an investigation by the KUL researchers found he was producing the proteins detected by the test. His suspension is expected to be dropped next week.

[Johny]

Pro athletes are still human.

I believe that the current EPO test is to detect synthetic EPO made in the Chinese hamster cells, which probably are not able to have some protein modifications (most likely glycosylation -- putting sugar on -- in this case) and thus results in a different isoeletric (think about pH you learn in chemistry classes) pattern of EPO than the one made endogenously in human bodies (kidney).

Using a gel to separate proteins and a specific antibody against EPO, it is possible to detect two different populations of EPO, endogenous (low pH) and exogenous (high pH), if one dopes EPO and is stupid enough not to clean up the leftover. Now of course, for example, if the antibody is not specific enough (a similar principle also applies to Tyler's case, which multiple antibodies and flow cytometry were used to distinguish exogenous and endogenous red blood cells), it would result in false positives.

[Richard]

Of course in this case, the athlete in question could reproduce the cause of the false positive.

Whither Tyler???? I guess not. He has to rely on the possibility of the twin, why not try to reproduce the false positive??

[Johny]

Beke denied having used EPO and an investigation by the KUL researchers found he was producing the proteins detected by the test. His suspension is expected to be dropped next week.[/B]

This is the key. I believe that they run the same test again using the same protocol and reagents, and found a similar result given that they can quarantine Beke for a few days. Now can Tyler prove his innocence (or guilt) by a similar approach? Red blood cells live 120 days.

[my2cents]

i'm not scientific so please excuse me if i use the wrong terminology.

i think part of the problem for tyler is that nobody has been given access to the testing protocols/methodology so reproducing the test and therefore the test results has proven impossible, no?

in tyler's case, according to 1 of the 3 or 4 people responsible for developing the test, a threshold for accuracy was somewhere in the range of 6-15% (though this standard was not adopted by wada) and tyler only tested at 2%. IF wada knew that false positives with the epo test were possible, especially when conducted on elite athletes at the end of a competition, i think this shows a blatant disregard for fairness. the wada claim that 'no false positives are possible on tyler's test' and the 'threshold is acceptable at zero (instead of 6%)' seems highly suspect knowing that it is possible/likely that wada/pound blatantly disregards sound science and testing protocols/standards in their pursuit to prove what they seem to already know - that 'all cyclists dope'.

[Johny]

In all fairness, IMHO, WADA was not fair. The published paper that described the assay (later used on Tyler and others) particularly ponits out a big issue of this test: specificity of antibodies, which was not completely resolved at the time of publication (2003?). I remember that WADA said that they consulted top immunoligists (who remain unnamed?) for Tyler's blood test results, and they agreed that it was a positive case. However, Tyler first said that the postivie results were due to a surgery, and later used the "Vanishing Twin Theory" to argue his innocence...it makes me wonder. Nevertheless, reproducing the same results is the only way to prove his innocence if he so desires.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Do some cyclists dope? Undoubtedly. But whether the test is for blood doping, EPO, or drinking too much SunnyD, the UCI and WADA are, like any other beauracracies, primarily concerned with preserving their reputation and public image and, therefore, their power. To that end, they will minimize, obfuscate, delay, distract, spin, and even outright lie. They are concerned with the guilt or innocence of individual cyclists ONLY insofar as it helps them meet those ends. Once a cyclist is accused, it is in UCI and WADA's best interests to make sure they are found guilty--no matter what the true facts may turn out to be. It doesn't surprise me at all that their EPO test might be unreliable or have ideosyncrasies they have chosen to conceal, because that's what they've done with the blood doping test they are trying to crucify Tyler with. Note that while I am a Tyler supporter, I'm fully ready to admit to the possibility that he DID dope. But the way UCI and WADA are acting is a much more serious matter, IMHO.

BBDave