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Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Large Scale Non-targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Serum by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry UPLC-MS
Published on: March 14, 2013
A novel fully-automated method to measure steroids in serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
François Fraissinet1, Tony Pereira1, Alizée Violin2
1Department of General Biochemistry, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France.
Background:
Steroids play a key role in numerous physiological processes. Steroid determination is a useful tool to explore various endocrine diseases. Because of its specificity, mass spectrometry is considered to be a reference method for the determination of steroids in serum compared to radioimmunoassay. This technology could progress towards more automation for the optimal organization of clinical laboratories and ultimately for the benefit of patients.
Methods:
A fully automated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and fully validated to determine five steroids in serum. Sample preparation was based on protein precipitation with filtration followed by online solid phase extraction. Chromatographic separation was performed using a biphenyl stationary phase.
Results:
The method was successfully validated according to European Medicine Agency guidelines. Coefficients of variation did not exceed, respectively, 8.4% and 8.1% for intra- and inter-assay precision. Method comparison with radioimmunoassay showed a proportional bias for all compounds, except for testosterone in men. Comparison with another LC-MS/MS method demonstrated acceptable concordance for all steroids, although a small bias was observed for androstenedione.
Conclusion:
The novelty of this method is that it has been fully automated. Automation provides benefits in traceability and allows significant savings in cost and time.
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