Rapid measurement of oestradiol and oestriol by high-performance liquid chromatography after automatic pretreatment

A fluorometric liquid chromatographic method was developed for measurements of unconjugated oestradiol and oestriol in the serum of pregnant women. The serum samples are injected directly into the apparatus and pass to a pretreatment column, where oestrogens are adsorbed while hydrophilic components such as proteins and carbohydrates are not. The oestrogens then pass into a separation column containing a new type of polymer gel. The mobile phase consists of an acetonitrile-water mixture, and separation is achieved by a reversed-phase mechanism. The eluent is monitored for fluorescence. Data on the reproducibility and recovery by this method and the correlation of values with those obtained by radioimmunoassay are reported. Results on the increases of oestradiol and oestriol in the serum during pregnancy are also reported.