title: A microfluidic technique for quantification of steroids in core needle biopsies.
abstract: Core needle biopsy (CNB) sampling is known to be inexpensive and minimally invasive relative to traditional tissue resectioning. But CNBs are often not used in analytical settings because of the tiny amount of sample and analyte. To address this challenge, we introduce an analytical method capable of multiplexed steroid quantification in CNB samples-those studied here ranged in mass from 2 to 8 mg. The new method uses digital microfluidics to extract steroids from CNB tissue samples (including a solid-phase extraction cleanup step) followed by analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The method has limits of detection of 3.6, 1.6, 5.8, and 8.5 fmol for estradiol, androstendione, testoterone, and progesterone, respectively. We propose that future generations of this method may be useful for regular quantification of steroids in core needle biopsy samples of breast tissue to inform dosage and timing of antihormone or hormone replacement therapies as part of a personalized medicine approach to treating a variety of hormone-sensitive disorders.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jihye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdulwahab
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.|§Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Kihwan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Nelson M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lafrenière
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jared M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mudrik
authors.affiliation: ∥Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Hala
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gomaa
authors.affiliation: ∥Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Hend
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmado
authors.affiliation: ∥Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucy-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Behan
authors.affiliation: ∥Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Casper
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.|‡Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada.|§Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062005:Biopsy, Large-Core Needle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D051381:Rats; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids