Simultaneous determination of thirteen different steroid hormones using micro UHPLC-MS/MS with on-line SPE system

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers coupled with UPLC-MS/MS for simultaneous detection of 19 steroid hormones in human plasma

Steroid hormones constitute a group of hormones with molecular weights ranging from 200 to 400 daltons, characterized by their highly similar chemical structures. Each hormone within this group holds significant value for the diagnosis of various diseases. Accurate clinical measurement of the levels of each hormone is crucial for the diagnosis in clinical settings. Due to the wide variety and different properties of steroid hormones in organisms, sample pretreatment is the rate-limiting step for analysis and detection. In this paper, magnetic molecule-imprinting polymers (MMIPs) were prepared by surface imprinting on silicon coated magnetic spheres, and a detection method of MMIPs-combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for 19 steroid hormones in plasma was developed and verified. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the formation of MMIPs materials, and the conditions of material synthesis and pretreatment of steroid hormones from plasma were optimized. The detection method was evaluated by using linearity, LOD and LOQ, precision, accuracy and matrix effect. The linearity of 19 steroid hormones was good, and the linear correlation coefficient was greater than 0.995. The coefficients of variation were 2.1-9.8 % and 1.1-9.7 % for intra-day and inter-day, respectively, and the recoveries were 83.6 %-118.2 % at low concentration, and the recoveries of medium and high concentrations were 94.6 %-113.8 % and 89.5 %-113.6 %, respectively. The coefficient of variation of Relative matrix effect of 19 steroid hormones measured in different batches of plasma was 2.1-5.4 % after isotope internal standard correction, which eliminated the influence of matrix effect.

The interpretation of immunometric, chromatographic and mass spectrometric data for steroids in diagnosis of endocrine disorders

The analysis of steroids for endocrine disorders is in transition from immunoassay of individual steroids to more specific chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods with simultaneous determination of several steroids. Gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) offer unrivalled analytical capability for steroid analysis. These specialist techniques were often judged to be valuable only in a research laboratory but this is no longer the case. In a urinary steroid profile up to 30 steroids are identified with concentrations and excretion rates reported in a number of ways. The assays must accommodate the wide range in steroid concentrations in biological fluids from micromolar for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) to picomolar for oestradiol and aldosterone. For plasma concentrations, panels of 5-20 steroids are reported. The profile results are complex and interpretation is a real challenge in order to inform clinicians of likely implications. Although artificial intelligence and machine learning will in time generate reports from the analysis this is a way off being adopted into clinical practice. This review offers guidance on current interpretation of the data from steroid determinations in clinical practice. Using this approach more laboratories can use the techniques to answer clinical questions and offer broader interpretation of the results so that the clinician can understand the conclusion for the steroid defect, and can be advised to program further tests if necessary and instigate treatment. The biochemistry is part of the patient workup and a clinician led multidisciplinary team discussion of the results will be required for challenging patients. The laboratory will have to consider cost implications, bearing in mind that staff costs are the highest component. GC-MS and LC-MS/MS analysis of steroids are the choices. Steroid profiling has enormous potential to improve diagnosis of adrenal disorders and should be adopted in more laboratories in favour of the cheap, non-specific immunological methods.

Determination of tetrodotoxin in human plasma and urine using online MCX SPE column cleanup coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

An efficient technique for quantitative analysis of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in human plasma and urine has been developed, which combines liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with online MCX solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup. Sample preparation, including extraction with acetonitrile containing 0.5 % acetate acid, centrifugation, and filtration, was followed by online SPE cleanup. The whole run-time was less than 15 min, including online cleanup, chromatographic separation, and re-equilibration of the online SPE - LC-MS/MS system. The parameters of sample extraction, purification, separation, and detection were optimized. The matrix-matched internal standard calibration standard curves with linear regression coefficients larger than 0.9990 were established for quantification. The LOD and LOQ for this approach were determined to be 0.1 ng/mL and 0.3 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries for varied concentrations of TTX in human plasma and urine were 84.9-104.2 % and 89.2-109.6 %, respectively. The matrix effects of TTX in human plasma and urine matrices were 85.5 % and 74.3 %, respectively, and both the inter- and intra-day precision values were less than 9.5 %. This analytical method was successfully employed for detecting TTX in biological samples from a poisoned patient who accidentally ingested the nassarius glans.

Cyanoacetohydrazide as a Novel Derivatization Agent for the Determination of UHPLC-HRMS Steroids in Urine

The possibility of cyanoacetohydrazide usage as a novel derivatizing agent is demonstrated in the presented article, and a comparison with hydroxylamine as the most commonly used reagent is provided. Optimal conditions for steroid derivatization with cyanoacetohydrazide are provided. According to the collected data, the maximum yield of derivatives was observed at pH 2.8 within 70 min at 40 °C with 5 ng/mL limit of detection for all investigated analytes. It was shown that cyanoacetohydrazide derivatives produces both syn- and anti-forms as well as hydroxylamine, and their ratios were evaluated and shown in presented work. An efficiency enchantment from two to up to five times was achieved with a novel derivatization reagent. Its applicability for qualitative analysis of steroids in urine was presented at real samples. Additionally, the reproducible fragmentation of the derivatizing agent in collision-induced dissociation offers opportunities for simplified non-targeted steroidomic screening. Furthermore, cyanoacetohydrazide increases ionization efficiency in positive mode, which can eliminate the need for redundant high-resolution instrument runs required for both positive and negative mode analyses.

Simultaneous Determination of Selected Steroids with Neuroactive Effects in Human Serum by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Neuroactive steroids are a group of steroid molecules that are involved in the regulation of functions of the nervous system. The nervous system is not only the site of their action, but their biosynthesis can also occur there. Neuroactive steroid levels depend not only on the physiological state of an individual (person's sex, age, diurnal variation, etc.), but they are also affected by various pathological processes in the nervous system (some neurological and psychiatric diseases or injuries), and new knowledge can be gained by monitoring these processes. The aim of our research was to develop and validate a comprehensive method for the simultaneous determination of selected steroids with neuroactive effects in human serum. The developed method enables high throughput and a sensitive quantitative analysis of nine neuroactive steroid substances (pregnenolone, progesterone, 5α-dihydroprogesterone, allopregnanolone, testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and epiandrosterone) in 150 μL of human serum by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The correlation coefficients above 0.999 indicated that the developed analytical procedure was linear in the range of 0.90 nmol/L to 28.46 μmol/L in human serum. The accuracy and precision of the method for all analytes ranged from 83 to 118% and from 0.9 to 14.1%, respectively. This described method could contribute to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of various diseases. Similarly, it can also be helpful in the search for new biomarkers and diagnostic options or therapeutic approaches.

Characterization of lipoprotein supplement and influence of its oxidized lipid content on cell culture performance and monoclonal antibody production by a SP2/0 hybridoma cell line

A challenging aspect with the use of the Sp2/0 hybridoma cell line in commercial manufacturing processes of recombinant therapeutic proteins is their exogenous lipids requirement for cell proliferation and optimal protein secretion. Lipids are commonly provided to the culture using serum or serum-derivatives, such as lipoprotein supplement. The batch-to-batch variability of these non-chemically defined raw-materials is known to impact cell culture process performance. Lipoprotein supplement variability and its impact on fed-batch production of a recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) expressed in Sp2/0 cells were studied using 36 batches from the same vendor. Several batches were associated with early viability drops leading to low process performance during fed-batch production. Increased caspase-3 activity (an indicator of apoptosis) was correlated to viability drops when low-performing batches were used. Addition of an antioxidant to the culture limited the increase in caspase-3 activity. Physicochemical characterization of batches confirmed that lipoproteins are mainly composed of lipids and proteins; no clear correlation between low-performing batches and lipoprotein supplement composition was observed. Controlled lipoprotein oxidation leads to lipoprotein solution browning, increasing absorbance at 276 nm and results in poor process performance. Because low-performing batches absorb more at 276 nm than other batches, oxidized lipids were suspected to be the root cause of low-performing batches. This study increased the understanding of lipoprotein supplement composition, its sensitivity to oxidation and its impact on process performance.

A New Heart-Cutting Method for a Multiplex Quantitative Analysis of Steroid Hormones in Plasma Using 2D-LC/MS/MS Technique

The aim of the current research was to develop a simple and rapid mass spectrometry-based assay for the determination of 15 steroid hormones in human plasma in a single run, which would be suitable for a routine practice setting. For this purpose, we designed a procedure based on the 2D-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with a minimalistic sample pre-treatment. In our arrangement, the preparation of one sample takes only 10 min and can accommodate 40 samples per hour when tested in series. The following analytical run is 18 min long for all steroid hormones. In addition, we developed an independent analytical run for estradiol, significantly increasing the assay accuracy while taking an additional 10 min to perform an analytical run of a sample. The optimized method was applied to a set of human plasma samples, including chylous. Our results indicate the linearity of the method for all steroid hormones with squared regression coefficients R2 ≥ 0.995, within-run and between-run precision (RSD < 6.4%), and an accuracy of 92.9% to 106.2%. The absolute recovery for each analyzed steroid hormone ranged between 101.6% and 116.5%. The method detection limit for 15 steroid hormones ranged between 0.008 nmol/L (2.88 pg/mL) for aldosterone and 0.873 nmol/L (0.252 ng/mL) for DHEA. For all the analytes, the lowest calibration point relative standard deviation was less than 10.8%, indicating a good precision of the assay within the lowest concentration of interest. In conclusion, in this method article, we describe a simple, sensitive, and cost-effective 2D-LC/MS/MS method suitable for the routine analysis of a complex of steroid hormones allowing high analytical specificity and sensitivity despite minimal sample processing and short throughput times.

GC-MS/MS Determination of Steroid Hormones in Urine Using Solid-Phase Derivatization as an Alternative to Conventional Methods

Solid-phase analytical derivatization (SPAD) is a promising hybrid sample preparation technique combining the clean-up and preconcentration of the sample in a single step. In this work, a novel SPAD method based on the preparation of trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of steroid hormones (testosterone, estrone, DHT, estriol, estradiol, and progesterone) in Phenomenex Strata C18-E (100 mg, 1 mL) cartridges has been developed and applied for their GC-MS/MS determination in human urine samples. The proposed procedure allows the detection and quantification of steroids with limits of 1.0–2.5 and 2.5–5 ng/mL, respectively. These characteristics are comparable with those obtained with a conventional liquid–liquid extraction, while the recovery of analytes in the proposed SPAD procedure is higher. The major advantages of SPAD are a short derivatization time, high efficiency, and the possibility to automatize the procedure. However, its cost-effectiveness in routine practice is still questionable.

Metabolic Alteration Analysis of Steroid Hormones in Niemann-Pick Disease Type C Model Cell Using Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a functional deficiency of cholesterol-transporting proteins in lysosomes, and exhibits various clinical symptoms. Since mitochondrial dysfunction in NPC has recently been reported, cholesterol catabolism to steroid hormones may consequently be impaired. In this study, we developed a comprehensive steroid hormone analysis method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and applied it to analyze changes in steroid hormone concentrations in NPC model cells. We investigated the analytical conditions for simultaneous LC–MS/MS analysis, which could be readily separated from each other and showed good reproducibility. The NPC phenotype was verified as an NPC model with mitochondrial abnormalities using filipin staining and organelle morphology observations. Steroid hormones in the cell suspension and cell culture medium were also analyzed. Steroid hormone analysis indicated that the levels of six steroid hormones were significantly decreased in the NPC model cell and culture medium compared to those in the wild-type cell and culture medium. These results indicate that some steroid hormones change during NPC pathophysiology and this change is accompanied by mitochondrial abnormalities.

Solid-phase analytical derivatization as a tool for the quantification of steroid hormones in human urine with HPLC-Q-ToF detection

A possibility of application of solid-phase analytical derivatization (SPAD) for the quantification of seven steroid hormones (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, cortisone, cortisol, progesterone, 11α-hydroxyprogesterone, and estrone) in human urine was evaluated. To prepare urine samples for instrumental analysis, SPAD with hydroxylamine was applied after enzymatic hydrolysis of the sample. To achieve high recovery values, extraction and derivatization conditions were optimized. Cartridges packed with end-capped octadecylsilyl silica sorbent provided optimum extraction of target analytes, while the reaction with hydroxylamine in the cartridge was found as a simple and efficient way for the chemical derivatization of steroids. The obtained derivatives were detected by using reversed-phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The proposed procedure was validated and applied to the analysis of real urine samples to prove the applicability of the proposed method for the routine analysis.

Comparison of Microflow and Analytical Flow Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry Global Metabolomics Methods Using a Urea Cycle Disorder Mouse Model

Microscale-based separations are increasingly being applied in the field of metabolomics for the analysis of small-molecule metabolites. These methods have the potential to provide improved sensitivity, less solvent waste, and reduced sample-size requirements. Ion-pair free microflow-based global metabolomics methods, which we recently reported, were further compared to analytical flow ion-pairing reagent containing methods using a sample set from a urea cycle disorder (UCD) mouse model. Mouse urine and brain homogenate samples representing healthy, diseased, and disease-treated animals were analyzed by both methods. Data processing was performed using univariate and multivariate techniques followed by analyte trend analysis. The microflow methods performed comparably to the analytical flow ion-pairing methods with the ability to separate the three sample groups when analyzed by partial least-squares analysis. The number of detected metabolic features present after each data processing step was similar between the microflow-based methods and the ion-pairing methods in the negative ionization mode. The observed analyte trend and coverage of known UCD biomarkers were the same for both evaluated approaches. The 12.5-fold reduction in sample injection volume required for the microflow-based separations highlights the potential of this method to support studies with sample-size limitations.

Determination of Ketosteroids in Human Urine Using Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction and Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A method is proposed for the determination of some ketosteroids in human urine, including enzymatic hydrolysis using β-glucuronidase from E. coli followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, derivatization of analytes with hydroxylamine, and detection by reversed-phase ultra-HPLC–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Optimization of extraction and derivatization conditions of the studied compounds made it possible to find that the highest recoveries were achieved using an acetone–chloroform mixture as a dispersant and an extractant, and the completeness of the derivatization reaction was achieved by thermostating the sample at 70°C for 90 min. The proposed method has high sensitivity (limits of detection in the range of 0.1–0.25 ng/mL) and a wide linearity range.

Sample Preparation and Analytical Methods for Steroid Hormones in Environmental and Food Samples: An Update Since 2012

Steroid hormones (SHs) have been widely used over the past few decades as both human and veterinary drugs to prevent or treat infectious diseases and anti-inflammatory benefits in clinical. Unfortunately, their residues in foodstuffs and environmental samples can produce adverse effects on human and animal life such as disrupting the endocrine system. For these reasons, sensitive, simple and efficient methods have been developed for the determination of these compounds in various matrices. This critical review summarized the articles published in the period from 2012 to 2019 and can be used to help researchers to understand development of the sample pretreatment protocols and analytical methods used to detect SHs. The developed extraction and purification techniques used for steroids in different samples, such as cloud point extraction, solid phase extraction based on different novel materials, microextraction methods, QuEChERS and other methods are summarized and discussed. Analytical methods used to quantify these compounds, such as different chromatography methods, electrochemical methods, as well as other methods, are illustrated and compared. We focused on the latest advances in SHs pretreatment, and the application of new technologies in SHs analysis.

A systematic approach to development of analytical scale and microflow-based liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry metabolomics methods to support drug discovery and development

As the reliance on metabolic biomarkers within drug discovery and development increases, there is also an increased demand for global metabolomics methods to provide broad metabolome coverage and sensitivity towards differences in metabolite expression and reproducibility. A systematic approach is necessary for the development, and evaluation, of metabolomics methods using either conventional techniques or when establishing new methods that allow for additional gains in sensitivity and a reduction in requirements for amounts of a biological sample, such as those seen with methods based on microseparations. We developed a novel standard mixture and used a systematic approach for the development and optimization of optimal, ion-pair free, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) global profiling methods. These methods were scaled-down to microflow-based LC separations and compared with analytical flow ion-pairing reagent containing methods. Average peak volume improvements of 7- and 22-fold were observed in the positive and negative ionization mode microflow methods as compared to the ion-pairing reagent analytical flow methods, respectively. The linear range of the newly developed microflow methods showed up to a 10-fold increase in the lower limit of detection in the negative ionization mode. The developed microflow LC-MS methods were further evaluated using wild-type mouse plasma where up to a 9-fold increase in peak volume was observed.

Analytical Methods for the Determination of Neuroactive Steroids

Neuroactive steroids are a family of all steroid-based compounds, of both natural and synthetic origin, which can affect the nervous system functions. Their biosynthesis occurs directly in the nervous system (so-called neurosteroids) or in peripheral endocrine tissues (hormonal steroids). Steroid hormone levels may fluctuate due to physiological changes during life and various pathological conditions affecting individuals. A deeper understanding of neuroactive steroids' production, in addition to reliable monitoring of their levels in various biological matrices, may be useful in the prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of some neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. The aim of this review is to highlight the most relevant methods currently available for analysis of neuroactive steroids, with an emphasis on immunoanalytical methods and gas, or liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry.

Magnetic Micro-Solid-Phase Extraction Using a Novel Carbon-Based Composite Coupled with HPLC-MS/MS for Steroid Multiclass Determination in Human Plasma

A micron-sized sorbent, Magn-Humic, has been prepared by humic acids pyrolysis onto silica-coated magnetite. The material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area measurements and applied for simultaneous magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of glucocorticoids, estrogens, progestogens, and androgens at ng mL⁻¹ levels from human plasma followed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Due to the low affinity for proteins, steroids extraction was done with no need for proteins precipitation/centrifugation. As highlighted by a design of experiments, MSPE was performed on 250 µL plasma (after 1:4 dilution) by 50 mg Magn-Humic (reusable for eight extractions) achieving quantitative recovery and satisfying clean-up. This was improved by washing (2 mL 2% v/v formic acid) prior to analytes elution by 0.5 mL 1:1 v/v methanol-acetonitrile followed by 0.5 mL methanol; eluate reduction to 0.25 mL compensated the initial sample dilution. The accuracy was assessed in certified blank fetal bovine serum and in human plasma, gaining satisfactory recovery in the range 65–122%, detection limits in the range 0.02–0.3 ng mL⁻¹ (0.8 ng mL⁻¹ for 17-β-estradiol) and suitable inter-day precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) <14%, n = 3). The method was evaluated in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, matrix-effect, instrumental carry-over, and it was applied to human plasma samples.

Quantification of steroid hormones in human urine by DLLME and UHPLC-HRMS detection

A procedure for the quantification of steroid hormones of various classes in human urine (androgens, estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids) has been described consisting of sample preparation by means of dispersive liquid-liquid extraction after enzymatic hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase from E. Coli followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (quadrupole time-of-flight) detection. Both one-variable-at-a-time and multivariate approaches (full factorial and Box-Behnken designs) were applied to optimize sample preparation conditions. The procedure was validated using synthetic urine in the concentration range of 0.25-500 ng/mL. Then, it was applied to the analysis of real urine samples and the results were compared with those of a common liquid-liquid extraction procedure. The results obtained proved its applicability to the quantification of steroid hormones in human urine with high sensitivity and accuracy.

HA-C@silica sorbent for simultaneous extraction and clean-up of steroids in human plasma followed by HPLC-MS/MS multiclass determination

Aim and novelty of this work are the development of a simple and straightforward analytical procedure for multiclass determination of steroid hormones in human plasma. The method entails a single pre-treatment step based on solid-phase extraction using a recently proposed sorbent phase (HA-C@silica). This is easily prepared with good reproducibility via pyrolysis of humic acids onto silica, and not yet tested in biological fluids. It proved to be advantageous as it showed poor affinity for the protein matrix constituents while quantitatively extracting and pre-concentrating the target analytes. Indeed, as demonstrated in bovine serum albumin solution, up to ca. 90% protein is not retained by the sorbent, similarly to the behaviour of restricted access carbon nanotubes, tested for comparison. The high albumin exclusion allowed a satisfactory clean-up avoiding protein precipitation and centrifugation before extraction. The extraction procedure, optimized by a chemometric approach (2³ experimental design) in BSA solution, provided quantitative recovery (76-119%, n = 3) for all steroids working with 1:8-diluted plasma (2 mL) and 100 mg HA-C@silica. Before analytes elution by 1 mL methanol-acetonitrile (1:1, v/v), selective washings (2% v/v formic acid and 30% v/v methanol) were applied to remove the small fraction of retained proteins, thus obtaining very clean SPE extracts to be analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. This allowed identification/quantification (MRM mode) at few ng mL^-1 by a single chromatographic run. The procedure was verified in blank-certified foetal bovine serum (spikes 10-100 ng mL^-1), obtaining good recovery and suitable inter-day precision (RSDs < 15%, n = 3). The analytical method, applied to real plasma samples analysis, is appealing in terms of sample throughput, extraction efficiency and clean-up.

Evaluation of OptiFlow™-MS/MS for bioanalysis of pharmaceutical drugs and metabolites

Aim: Microflow tandem mass spectrometry-based methods have been proposed as options to improve sensitivity and selectivity while improving sample utility and solvent consumption. Here, we evaluate a newly introduced microflow source, OptiFlow™, for quantitative performance. Results/methodology: We performed a comparison of the OptiFlow and IonDrive™ sources, respectively, on the same triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The comparison used a neat cocktail of commercially available drugs and extracted plasma samples monitoring midazolam and alprazolam metabolites. Microflow produced a 2–4× signal increase for the neat drug cocktail and a 5–10× increase for extracted plasma samples. Conclusion: The OptiFlow method consistently gave increased signal response relative to the IonDrive method and enabled a better lower limit of quantitation for defining phamacokinetics.