Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Nov 14;15:1448013. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1448013. eCollection 2024.
Glucocorticoids and androgens in the hair follicle have been of interest for many years, particularly cortisol and cortisone in retrospective studies associated with chronic stress and Cushing's syndrome. No studies have reported aldosterone or 18-hydroxycorticosterone in the adrenal mineralocorticoid panel in the hair follicle. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers in endocrine conditions associated with steroid excess or deficiency using a novel extraction protocol in the analysis of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids in the hair follicle.
Hair was collected from 15 healthy male and female volunteers. Segments that were cut along the length of long, medium, and short hair and segments shaved on the scalp and the cheek were prepared for analysis. Hair samples were extracted using an automated accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) system. Steroids were analyzed using high-throughput ultra-performance convergence chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. All mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids were detected above the lower limit of quantification and none of the steroids differed statistically comparing male and female concentrations. Deoxycortisol, deoxycorticosterone, and aldosterone were detected for the first time in men. In both genders, 18-hydroxycortisosterone was detected for the first time. The median concentrations for women and men, respectively, were as follows: deoxycortisol, 14.2 and 19.2 pg/mg; cortisol, 34.7 and 33.9 pg/mg; cortisone, 22.4 and 22.0 pg/mg; deoxycorticosterone, 83.0 and 50.2 pg/mg; corticosterone, 10.9 and 11.5 pg/mg; 18-hydroxycorticosterone, 24.8 and 24.8 pg/mg; and aldosterone, 23.4 and 22.7 pg/mg. Deoxycortisol and deoxycorticosterone showed marked fluctuation along the hair follicle in both genders and showed inter-individual variance. Conversely, cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, 18-hydroxycortisosterone, and aldosterone did not fluctuate, with no inter-individual variance. Cortisol was 1.5-fold higher than cortisone in accordance with the circulatory cortisol/cortisone relationship.
The novel extraction method optimized steroid measurement, showing the consistency of measurement for glucocorticoids, cortisol and cortisone, and mineralocorticoids, corticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone, and aldosterone. Data suggest these steroids in the hair follicle to be ideal biomarkers in improving diagnostic testing, investigating conditions of steroid excess or deficiency in hypoaldosteronism, primary hyperaldosteronism, Cushing's syndrome, and the congenital adrenal hyperplasia subtypes.
毛囊中的糖皮质激素和雄激素多年来一直受到关注，尤其是皮质醇和可的松在与慢性应激和库欣综合征相关的回顾性研究中。在肾上腺盐皮质激素检测面板中，没有研究报道醛固酮或 18-羟基皮质酮在毛囊中的存在。本研究旨在通过一种新的提取方案，分析毛囊中的盐皮质激素和糖皮质激素，以寻找与类固醇过多或不足相关的内分泌条件的潜在生物标志物。
从 15 名健康的男性和女性志愿者中采集头发。沿长发、中发和短发的长度剪下的发段以及头皮和脸颊上剃下的发段都准备好进行分析。使用自动化加速溶剂提取 (ASE) 系统提取毛发样本。使用高通量超高效凝聚色谱-串联质谱法分析类固醇。所有的糖皮质激素和盐皮质激素的检测下限均高于定量下限，且男性和女性的浓度无统计学差异。在男性中首次检测到脱氧皮质醇、脱氧皮质酮和醛固酮。在两性中，首次检测到 18-羟基皮质酮。女性和男性的中位数浓度分别为：脱氧皮质醇 14.2 和 19.2pg/mg；皮质醇 34.7 和 33.9pg/mg；皮质酮 22.4 和 22.0pg/mg；脱氧皮质酮 83.0 和 50.2pg/mg；皮质酮 10.9 和 11.5pg/mg；18-羟基皮质酮 24.8 和 24.8pg/mg；醛固酮 23.4 和 22.7pg/mg。脱氧皮质醇和脱氧皮质酮在两性中均沿毛囊呈现明显波动，并表现出个体间差异。相反，皮质醇、皮质酮、皮质酮、18-羟基皮质酮和醛固酮则没有波动，个体间没有差异。皮质醇与皮质酮的比值为 1.5 倍，符合循环中皮质醇/皮质酮的关系。
新的提取方法优化了类固醇的测量，显示了糖皮质激素、皮质醇和皮质酮以及盐皮质激素、皮质酮、18-羟基皮质酮和醛固酮的测量一致性。数据表明，这些类固醇在毛囊中是改善诊断检测的理想生物标志物，可以用于研究低醛固酮症、原发性醛固酮增多症、库欣综合征和先天性肾上腺增生亚型中类固醇过多或不足的情况。
