Determination of Estrogens, Androgens, Progesterone, and Related Steroids in Human Plasma and Urine

Abstract

Publisher Summary The measurement of the steroid hormones and their metabolites in tissues and body fluids is considered quite difficult. The study of steroid endocrinology and biochemistry is almost completely dependent upon the laborious development of analytical techniques. Presently, large numbers of techniques are widely available for measuring steroids in routine clinical chemistry. The analytical methods for measuring steroids must be assessed not only in terms of its physical and chemical technicalities, but also in the terms of systems analysis or operations research. All steroids in plasma are associated with the plasma proteins. On the other hand, in normal urine a major part of the steroids present are in free solution as anions or salts of the conjugates. Very small quantities of some steroids are present as free steroids. Biosynthesis of all the steroid hormones involves a large number of pathways common to all steroid-secreting tissues. Having a common embryological origin in the intermediate cell mass, the adrenal cortex and the endocrine tissues of the gonads should have a basic stock of similar enzymes operating via similar biosynthetic pathways.