Gas Chromatography and its Role in the Versatile Analysis of Urinary Estrogens

Abstract

The difficulty in assaying estrogens is due largely to the fact that, except in pregnancy and in certain endocrinopathies, they are present in extremely low quantities in biological media which may contain large amounts of other substances with characteristics similar to those of estrogens. The discovery of a large number of new metabolites in recent years has further complicated the problems. As a result all of the methods of proven merit have suffered from a lack of sensitivity or practicability. The simultaneous reports on the feasibility of steroid gas chromatography (1, 2) and its application in quantitative analysis of estrogens (3) have brought a new technique to the field of estrogen analysis. As in some other fields, GLC has a great advantage over conventional chromatography through its high resolution, speed and separation, simultaneous quantification and high sensitivity through the use of ionization detectors. This communication deals with the different parameters involved in the development of a versatile and, sensitive method of determination of estrogens in biological media.

This study has been wupported by a Research Career Development Award (3-K3-GM-15,369) and a Research Grant (CA 03135) from the U.S. Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.