Mass spectrometric analysis of steroids: all that glitters is not gold.

Mass spectrometric analysis of steroids: all that glitters is not gold. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Sep;10(5):463-465 Authors: Liere P, Schumacher M Abstract Steroid hormones are small molecules (MW around 300 Da) characterized by a large range of polarity and their analysis has always presented a serious challenge. Persistent problems with the specificity of conventional immunological methods are the cause of inconsistent results in the literature, a particularly problematic situation for healthcare decisions. At present, mass spectrometric methods have become the gold standard for accurate steroid profiling, and their advent will require the re-analysis of previously published data. However, it is a common misconception to consider the use of theses sophisticated technologies as a guarantee for accurate measures. Steroid analysis, especially in nervous tissues, indeed requires well-validated purification and separation steps before mass spectrometry, only then will mass spectrometric analysis be the absolute reference methodology. PMID: 30298762 [PubMed]
Source: Expert Review of Endocrinology and Metabolism - Category: Endocrinology Tags: Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab Source Type: research