title: Semiautomated method for the quantitation of plasma or sera androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone in population studies.
abstract: A method is presented that analyzes quantitatively and reproducibly the androgens testosterone, androstenedione, and dihydrotestosterone from human sera or plasma. The chromatographic separation step generates an unattended throughput of one preparative separation per hour. Controls are built into the method to account for changing chromatographic conditions that otherwise result in shifts in retention characteristics. Separation factors for the three androgens are as follows (mean +/- standard deviation): alpha = 1.23 +/- 0.011 between androstenedione and testosterone and alpha = 1.38 +/- 0.025 between testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Sensitivities of the method are androstenedione 5 pg, testosterone 3 pg, and dihydrotestosterone 14 pg. A study of procedural losses associated with initial sample processing, a validation, and application to two sample sets which demonstrates the methods utility for the analysis of hypoandrogenic populations (postmenopausal women) and hyperandrogenic groups (prostate cancer patients) is also reported. The precision for replicate aliquots of control plasma is androstenedione and testosterone = 5-11% CV and dihydrotestosterone = 10-20% CV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Dombi
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gutai
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Schroeder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood*; D001322:Autoanalysis / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003429:Cross Reactions; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011468:Prostatectomy; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione