Steroid profile for urine: reference values

We describe a project, participated in by 24 institutions in The Netherlands and Belgium, to determine normal reference values for steroids in urine by capillary gas chromatography. Urine samples from 288 healthy volunteers were analyzed in triplicate. Reference values, expressed in mumol/24 h, were determined for androsterone, etiocholanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, 11-keto-androsterone, 11-keto-etiocholanolone, 11-hydroxyandrosterone, 11-hydroxyetiocholanolone, pregnanediol, pregnanetriol, 11-desoxytetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydrocortisol, allo-tetrahydrocortisol, and 17-keto- and 17-hydroxysteroids. We also determined reference ratios for etiocholanolone/androsterone, tetrahydrocortisone/tetrahydrocortisol, and tetrahydrocortisol/allo-tetrahydrocortisol; an upper limit of a discriminant function to establish polycystic ovarian disease; and reference values for 24-h urine volume and creatinine excretion. Reference values were determined separately for men and women, each in six age categories: 0-3 months, 4 months-12 years, 13-16 years, 17-50 years, 51-70 years, and older than 70 years. We conclude that these reference values are reliable and form a basis for quantitative interpretation of steroid profiles.