Method for screening urinary steroids by gas chromatography.

Numerous methods are available for measuring urinary steroids in evaluating endocrine dysfunctions. Measurements of these particular steroids, or groups of them, usually involve tedious isolation methods, corrections for interferences and losses of the steroid, and (or) expensive reagents. We show how gas-liquid chromatography provides a rapid, sensitive, and direct method for several steroid metabolites in urine. Androstanol, androsterone, etiocholanolone, dehydroisoandrosterone, pregnanediol, pregnanetriol, 11-keto-17-ketosteroids, and the 11beta-hydroxy-17-ketosteroids can be identified and quantified.