Fast and direct quantification of adrenal steroids by tandem mass spectrometry in serum and dried blood spots

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2008 Jan 1;861(1):117-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2007.11.006. Epub 2007 Nov 17.

Abstract

We present a fast and reproducible method for steroid analysis (corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, progesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 21-deoxycortisol, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and cortisol) in small volumes of serum and in dried blood spot samples by LC-MS/MS. No derivatisation was needed. LC separation was achieved by using an Atlantis C18 column and water-methanol-formic acid gradient as a mobile phase and a flow rate of 250 microL/min over a run time of 6 min. Steroids were measured in MRM mode with electrospray interface (positive ion mode). Validation showed excellent precision, sensitivity, recovery and linearity with coefficients of determination r2>0.992.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Glands / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Humans
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Steroids / analysis
  • Steroids / blood*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • Steroids