Measurement of Estradiol in Human Serum by LC-MS/MS Using a Novel Estrogen-Specific Derivatization Reagent

Anal Chem. 2015 Jul 21;87(14):7180-6. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b01042. Epub 2015 Jul 2.

Abstract

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method is described that employs a novel derivatization reagent for the measurement of serum estradiol (E2), with simultaneous analysis of underivatized testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The main advantage of the new derivatization reagent 1,2-dimethylimidazole-5-sulfonyl chloride is its analyte-specific fragmentation that enables monitoring of confirmatory mass transitions with high sensitivity. The reaction mixture can be analyzed without additional purification steps using a 9.5 min gradient run, and sensitive detection is achieved with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer using atmospheric pressure photoionization. Method validation was performed with human serum samples, including a comparison with a standard LC-MS/MS method using 120 samples from a clinical study, and analysis of certified E2 serum reference materials BCR-576, BCR-577, and BCR-578. The lower limits of quantification for E2, T, and DHT were 0.5 pg/mL, 25 pg/mL, and 0.10 ng/mL, respectively, from a 200-μL sample. Validation results indicated good accuracy and agreement with established, conventional LC-MS/MS assays, demonstrating suitability for analysis of samples containing E2 in the low pg/mL range, such as serum from men, children, and postmenopausal women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Estradiol / blood*
  • Estradiol / chemistry
  • Estrogens / blood*
  • Humans
  • Indicators and Reagents / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Sulfinic Acids / chemistry*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Estrogens
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Sulfinic Acids
  • Estradiol
  • sulfonyl chloride