Determination of steroid hormones and other analytes by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry: impact on the diagnosis and investigation of endocrinopathies

• Grant number: 09/54002-9
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Start date: October 01, 2010
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Berenice Bilharinho de Mendonça
• Grantee: Berenice Bilharinho de Mendonça
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• EMU web page: Página do Equipamento Multiusuário não informada
• Type of equipment: Tipo de Equipamento Multiusuário não informado
• Manufacturer: Fabricante não informado
• Model: Modelo não informado

Abstract

The introduction of the radioimmunoassay technique for determining the levels of hormones, including steroids, brought about a true revolution in the diagnosis and investigation of endocrine diseases. Methods were developed for the determination of steroid levels through extraction with organic solvents, sometimes followed by chromatography and, finally, radioimmunoassay. However, for such determination in large numbers of samples, there was a need to simplify these methods, which made them less specific for various steroid hormones, because there were often cross-reactions between steroids. In addition to the cross-reactivity problem, direct measurement is subject to other interfering factors, such as heterophilic antibodies in the determination of testosterone. With the growing demand for quality, these limitations have driven the development of faster methods that are less susceptible to interference, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry being one such method. In the USP School of Medicine Laboratory of Hormone Assay and Molecular Genetics (LIM/42), we currently determine steroid levels in approximately 20,000 samples per month, serving the entire complex of the USP School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas. Faced with such potentially overwhelming protocols, which are common to public services, there is a need, in addition to systems with high specificity and sensitivity, for automated platforms that provide faster processing of large numbers of samples, requirements that are fully met by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry systems. Our main goal is to use liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in order to develop and deliver, in a timely manner, reports regarding the levels of steroid hormones and other analytes that are essential to the study of endocrine abnormalities. (AU)