title: A sensitive and rapid mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous measurement of eight steroid hormones and CALIPER pediatric reference intervals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an accurate assay and establish the normal reference intervals for serum cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, androstenedione, 21-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and progesterone. These steroids are commonly used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of endocrine diseases such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Appropriate age- and gender-stratified reference intervals are essential in accurate interpretation of steroid hormone levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The samples analyzed in this study were collected from healthy, ethnically diverse children in the Greater Toronto Area as part of the CALIPER program. A total of 337 serum samples from children between the ages of 0 and 18years were analyzed. The concentrations were measured by using an LC-MS/MS method. The data were analyzed for outliers and age- and gender-specific partitions were established prior to establishing the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles for the reference intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reference intervals for all hormones required significant age-dependent stratification while testosterone and progesterone required additional sex-dependent stratification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a sensitive, accurate and relatively fast LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous measurement of eight steroid hormones. Detailed reference intervals partitioned based on both age and gender were also established for all eight steroid hormones.
authors: Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Kyriakopoulou
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Yazdanpanah
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Colantonio
authors: M K
authors: MK
authors: Chan
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Daly
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Adeli
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000097:blood; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone