Combined immuno-purification and detection of recombinant erythropoietins and activin receptor type II-Fc fusion proteins by isoelectric focusing for application in doping control

Abstract

Iso-electric focusing (IEF) was the first method established to discriminate endogenous and recombinant erythropoietins (rEPOs). It is still approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as an initial testing procedure to detect erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) in doping control samples. However EPO-Fc, one of the prohibited rEPOs designated by WADA, is not detectable with the actual IEF conditions. Other newly developed ESAs – luspatercept and sotatercept, both activin receptor type II-Fc fusion proteins (ActRII-Fc) – are also now prohibited and could be used in combination with rEPOs. Methods of identification of ActRII-Fc in blood by SAR/SDS-PAGE have been described, but not by IEF. Here we detail improvements in blood sample preparation and IEF analysis: A combined immuno-purification of EPOs and ActRII-Fc proteins in a single procedure, an appropriate isoforms separation for all proteins using new pre-loading and gel conditions, and a single detection of all rEPOs and ActRII-Fc proteins after successive incubation with anti-EPO and anti-ActRII antibodies. With these changes, distinctive profiles for all the ESAs were obtained by IEF. Therefore, IEF could be used as a screening method to detect a wide spectrum of prohibited ESAs in blood samples prior to specific confirmation for the identified rEPO or ActRII-Fc.