Stable isotope-coded quaternization for comparative quantification of estrogen metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2008 Jul 15;870(2):233-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2008.06.026. Epub 2008 Jun 20.

Abstract

A fast and sensitive LC-ESI-MS method is described for the comparative quantification of 16 estrogen metabolites based on the derivatization of estrogens with a novel derivatizing reagent, N-methyl-nicotinic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (C1-NA-NHS). The process introduces a quaternary amine to the analytes, making the analytes permanently charged regardless of the pH of the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mobile phase. This quaternization resulted in a highly efficient separation of 16 estrogen metabolites in 7 min at a detection level below 1 ng/mL. By using a deuterated derivatizing reagent (C1-d(3)-NA-NHS), a complete set of deuterated standards was utilized and used as internal standards in a comparative quantification and recovery study, demonstrating acceptable results over a wide concentration range. A pooled breast cancer serum sample was analyzed using the described method, and 15 estrogens were detected in the range of 80-530 pg/mL.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / blood*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Estradiol Congeners / analysis*
  • Estradiol Congeners / blood
  • Estradiol Congeners / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • Estradiol Congeners