Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025
08:38
Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair
Published on: January 24, 2014
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Analysing and quantifying chronic stress-associated endogenous steroids in hair samples
Katharina Elisabeth Grafinger1, Wassilis Kassis2, Céline A Favre2
1Institute of Chemistry and Bioanalytics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland.
Drug Testing and Analysis
|March 13, 2024
Summary
This study developed a validated surrogate method for quantifying seven steroids in human hair, offering a new tool for long-term stress marker research in adolescents. The method proved effective for estradiol but not for androsterone or DHEAS.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Forensic Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Steroids in hair are crucial for stress research due to long-term monitoring capabilities.
- Hair analysis presents challenges due to complex sample preparation and endogenous steroid presence.
- Quantification requires specialized methods like surrogate analysis to overcome the lack of analyte-free matrices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a surrogate method for quantifying multiple steroids in human hair.
- To assess the method's suitability for analyzing specific steroids like estradiol, androsterone, and DHEAS.
- To enable comprehensive research into adolescent stress markers using hair steroid analysis.
Main Methods:
- Development of a surrogate method utilizing labeled or deuterated reference compounds.
- Full validation of the developed method for quantitative steroid analysis in human hair.
- Application of the validated method to analyze steroids in a large cohort of adolescent hair samples.
Main Results:
- The developed surrogate method was fully validated for the quantitative analysis of seven steroids in human hair.
- The method demonstrated suitability for semi-quantitative analysis of estradiol.
- The method was found unsuitable for the analysis of androsterone and DHEAS.
Conclusions:
- A robust surrogate method for analyzing key steroids in human hair was successfully developed and validated.
- This method facilitates long-term monitoring of stress markers in adolescents.
- Further method refinement may be needed for specific steroids like androsterone and DHEAS.
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