Analyses of steroids in saliva using highly selective mass spectrometric techniques

Highly selective techniques of gas chromatography mass spectrometry have been used in the unequivocal identification of salivary steroids at concentrations ranging from 20 pg ml-1 to 20 ng ml-1. Oestradiol-17 beta, for example, has been identified in pregnancy saliva by gas chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring of the bis-TMS ether and by gas chromatography mass spectrometry metastable peak monitoring of the bis-tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate has been identified in saliva, following enzymic hydrolysis, by gas chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring of the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether and methyloxime tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether. These initial analyses have been designed to guide the development of routine immunoassay procedures which may subsequently be validated by comparison with reference gas chromatographic mass spectrometric methods.