Routine method for the simultaneous quantification of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, cortisol, and pregnenolone in human serum of neonates using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Steroid determination by immunoassays results in significant interferences and inaccurate results. This study describes the development and validation of a new gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous quantification of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17αOHP), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione (Δ4-A), cortisol (F) and pregnenolone (Preg) in serum of neonates. Steroids were extracted and purified from 0.5 mL serum using diethyl ether and Extrelut mini NT1 column. The extracts were derivatized with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA)/trimethylsilyl iodide (TMSI)/dithioerythritol (DTE) and the resulting trimethylsilyl derivatives were quantified by gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring-mass spectrometry (GC-SIM-MS). The detection limit for all steroids was lower than 0.1 ng/mL. The limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/mL for all steroids except cortisol which was at 0.25 ng/mL. d3-Testosterone and methyltestosterone served as internal standards. Precision for all compounds at the concentrations of 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 ng/mL (n = 10) in fortified steroid-free serum samples ranged from 0.8% to 16.6%. Accuracy was calculated at the concentrations of 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 ng/mL and ranged from −9.2% to 10.6% (n = 10). Linear calibration equations were obtained for all five steroids (0.125–31.25 ng/mL) and for cortisol (0.125–200 ng/mL). Relative recoveries at concentrations 1.0 and 12.5 ng/mL ranged from 70.5% to 97.5%. Absolute recoveries at the same concentrations ranged from 73.2% to 96.6%. Reference intervals were estimated for infants aged from 9 to 40 days. The proposed steroid profile is suitable for routine analysis and provides meaningful data for samples within normal range as well as those with elevated levels.