title: Determination of steroid hormones in blood by GC-MS/MS.
abstract: This paper presents the development, optimization and validation of a methodology to determine nine key steroid hormones (viz. pregnenolone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone, 17α-estradiol and 17β-estradiol) expressed in the steroidogenesis in biological fluids. The analytical method allows for the determination of steroid hormones in blood plasma and serum down to 0.08-0.16 ng/mL for estrogens, 0.20-0.36 ng/mL for androgens and 0.36-0.43 ng/mL for progestagens. These limits of detection were obtainable using a two-step solid-phase clean-up for fractionation and elimination of interfering lipids (fatty acids, phospholipids, glycerides and sterols) from the steroid hormones. The accuracy of the method was 50-112% in the range 0.10 to 2.00 ng/mL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. mah@farma.ku.dk
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Naja W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Frederik K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Erland
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Björklund
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Styrishave
authors.forename: Bent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halling-Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008722:Methods; D011372:Progestins / Q000097:blood; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D011372:Progestins; D013256:Steroids