Abstract
Steroids are present in all animals and plants, from mammals to prokaryotes. In the medical field, steroids are commonly classified as glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and gonadal steroid hormones. Monitoring of hormones is useful in clinical and research fields for the assessment of physiological changes associated with aging, disease risk, and the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of various diseases. Since the discovery and isolation of steroid hormones, measurement methods for steroid hormones in biological samples have advanced substantially. Although immunoassays (IAs) are widely used in daily practice, mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods have been reported to be more specific. Steroid hormone measurement based on MS is desirable in clinical practice; however, there are several drawbacks, including the purchase and maintenance costs of the MS instrument and the need for specialized training of technicians. In this review, we discuss IA- and MS-based methods currently in use and briefly present the history of steroid hormone measurement. In addition, we describe recent advances in IA- and MS-based methods and future applications and considerations.
Highlights
We discuss the history of steroid hormone measurement and describe the immunoassay (IA) and mass spectrometry (MS) methods currently used in medical practice
It would be necessary to stop all blood tests collected in other clinics to prioritize the measurement of adrenal vein sampling (AVS) specimens, which would be very disruptive to the Plasma cortisol levels are difficult to measure during AVS because they are measu over approximately 1 h per sample using a nonportable automated measuring de installed in the laboratory
Economic considerations must be taken into account; in small laboratories, MS is not cost effective, and clinical diagnosis will likely rely on IA
Summary
Steroids are compounds that are found in all animals and plants, from mammals to prokaryotes. In the current management of adrenal tumors, the measurement of steroid hormones is important for the functional diagnosis and postoperative evaluation of adrenal tumors. Immunoassay (IA)- and mass spectrometry (MS)-based assays are currently the main methods of steroid hormone measurement. We discuss the history of steroid hormone measurement and describe the immunoassay (IA) and MS methods currently used in medical practice. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood takenup up into into the cytoplasm transported to the inner inner mitochondrial mitochondrial membrane membrane via the action action of of steroidogenic steroidogenic cytoplasm and and transported to the via the acute regulatory protein (StAR), the cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme, and other enzymes. 3β-hydroxysterone is synthesized, and various steroid hormones are biosynthesized via 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17α-hydroxylase, 21-hydroxylase, and 11β-hydroxylase.
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