Department of Clinical Biochemistry, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, UK.
Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2013 Jun;14(2):143-57. doi: 10.1007/s11154-013-9240-1.
Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is becoming a standard analytical tool in the clinical laboratory for the measurement of small molecules, including steroid hormones. Endocrinologists are coming to acknowledge the superior quality of measurement that is achievable by LC-MS/MS through the enhanced analytical specificity and high sensitivity that this technique offers over conventional immunoassay (IA) methodologies. Additionally, LC-MS/MS overcomes many of the problems encountered in immunoassays, such as anti-reagent antibody interferences and cross-reactivity with structurally related compounds. The potential benefits of applying LC-MS/MS for the assessment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are beginning to be realised. This review critically evaluates recent developments in the application of LC-MS/MS for measurement of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids towards the diagnosis and management of HPA axis disorders and aims to address the current unmet need in this expanding field of endocrinology for which future studies into the potential applications of LC-MS/MS should be directed.
液相色谱-串联质谱法（LC-MS/MS）在临床实验室中已成为一种用于小分子，包括类固醇激素测量的标准分析工具。内分泌学家开始认识到 LC-MS/MS 通过增强的分析特异性和高灵敏度，相对于传统的免疫测定（IA）方法，所能实现的测量质量更优。此外，LC-MS/MS 克服了免疫测定中遇到的许多问题，如抗试剂抗体干扰和与结构相关化合物的交叉反应。应用 LC-MS/MS 评估下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴的潜在益处开始得到实现。本综述批判性地评估了 LC-MS/MS 在测量糖皮质激素和盐皮质激素方面的最新应用进展，以诊断和管理 HPA 轴疾病，并旨在解决该领域目前未满足的需求，未来的研究应针对 LC-MS/MS 的潜在应用。
