THE ESTIMATION OF 3α-HYDROXY-5α-ANDROST-16-ENE AND OTHER C19-Δ16-STEROIDS IN URINE BY GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract

ABSTRACT A method is described for the quantitative estimation of C19-Δ16-steroids in human urine. After extraction and preliminary purification by the method of Brooksbank & Haslewood (1961), the steroids were analyzed as chloromethyl dimethylsilyl ethers by gas-liquid chromatography. The specificity, accuracy and precision of the method were found to be satisfactory and comparison with the colorimetric method of Brooksbank & Haslewood (1961) for urinary 3α-hydroxy-5α-androst-16-ene showed a high correlation coefficient, r = 0.97 (P < 0.001). Figures are given for the urinary excretion rate of 3α-hydroxy-5α-androst-16-ene of normal men and women and of some women suffering from hirsutism and from adrenocortical overactivity. The values are given for 3α-hydroxy-5β-androst-16-ene and 3β-hydroxyandrosta-5,16-diene in pools of urine from healthy men and women.