Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Urinary Steroids

SUMMARY A method for gas-liquid chromatographic separation and quantitation of urinary steroid metabolites is described. A normal reference range has been established and clas­ sic examples of urinary steroid profiles of the major steroid endocrine disorders are given. 5. A/,. med. l .• 56. 761 (1979). The advent of gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of indi­ vidual steroid metabolites' has considerably facilitated the differential diagnosis of steroid hormone disease states, which were previously diagnosed by less specific measure­ ments. Colorimetric methods for 17-oxosteroids and 17­ oxogenic steroids' are still the most commonly used techniques for the determination of groups of urinary steroids. Urinary steroid profiling by GLC allows indi­ vidual quantitation of the majority of the urinary steroid metabolites which are important for endocrine investiga­ tions. The biosynthetic pathway of the adrenal steroids and the origin of the urinary steroid metabolites is set out in Fig. 1. Previously steroid profiling was confined to 17-oxosteroids, pregnanediol and pregnanetriol,' because analysis of corticosteroid metabolites was hindered by thermal instability' and destruction during acid hydro­ lysis. Recently it has been shown that corticosteroid metabolites may be determined by GLC.... CHOLESTEROL