title: Hormonal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in plasma and urine of neonates using benchtop gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: We aimed at measuring the first plasma concentrations of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OH-P) determined by benchtop isotope dilution/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (ID/GC-MS) in term neonates with or without 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Plasma samples from normal cord blood specimens (n=30), unaffected neonates (n=38) and neonatal patients with classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency (eight salt-wasters, three simple virilizers) were analyzed. Steroid profiling of random urinary specimens by GC-MS served as a confirmatory test for 21-hydroxylase deficiency. 17OH-P (nmol/l) in cord blood plasma lay between 11.66 and 75.92 (median 24.74). It declined shortly after birth. In the first 8 days of life, the time that screening for 21-hydroxylase deficiency is performed, 17OH-P ranged between undetected levels and an upper limit of 22.87 (median 4.11). Thereafter (days 9-28) its concentrations lay between 2.18 and 20.30 (median 6.22). Except one simple virilizer, all other patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency had clearly elevated plasma 17OH-P at the time that screening for 21-hydroxylase deficiency would be performed. We suggest ID/GC-MS, which provides the highest specificity in steroid analysis, for checking suspicious concentrations of 17OH-P in neonates and underscore the potential of urinary steroid profiling by GC-MS as a rapid, non-invasive and non-selective confirmatory test for congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
authors.affiliation: Steroid Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, D-89070 Ulm/Donau, Germany.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wudy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Homoki
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood*; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011278:Pregnanes / Q000652:urine; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011278:Pregnanes; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone