Urinary steroid profiling.

Urinary steroid profiling is a long-established technique which has wide application in the study of disorders of human steroid biosynthesis and catabolism. The method divides into extraction of free and conjugated steroids, steroid conjugate hydrolysis, free steroid re-extraction, derivatization and analysis by GC or GC-MS. Several developments have led to better understanding of these processes and of ways to simplify and speed them up. The core method is described, together with some alternative options.