Chromatography as a reference technique for the determination of clinically important steroids

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Steroid analysis is crucial for clinical diagnostics.
• Various chromatographic techniques exist for steroid determination.
• Comparison with non-chromatographic methods is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review chromatographic methods for clinically important steroids.
• To emphasize gas chromatography, GC-MS, and HPLC as reference techniques.
• To compare chromatographic methods with other analytical procedures.

Main Methods:

• Review of paper chromatography, TLC, HPLC, GC, and GC-MS.
• Discussion of specimen collection and storage.
• Description of sample preparation techniques including solvent partition and resin extraction.

Main Results:

• Chromatographic methods offer high specificity and sensitivity for steroid analysis.
• HPLC, GC, and GC-MS are suitable as reference methods.
• Sample preparation methods vary depending on the biological matrix and analytical technique.

Conclusions:

• Chromatographic techniques, particularly HPLC, GC, and GC-MS, are valuable for accurate steroid profiling.
• Proper sample handling is essential for reliable results.
• Method selection depends on factors like throughput, cost, and required accuracy.