Validation of circulating steroid hormone measurements across different matrices by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Steroid hormones are essential signalling molecules in prostate cancer (PC). However, many studies focusing on liquid biomarkers fail to take the hormonal status of these patients into account. Steroid measurements are sensitive to bias caused by matrix effects, thus assessing potential matrix effects is an important step in combining circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis with hormone status.
Methods
We investigated the accuracy of multi-steroid hormone profiling in mechanically-separated plasma (MSP) samples and in plasma from CellSave Preservative (CS) tubes, that are typically used to obtain ctDNA, compared to measurements in serum. We performed multiplex steroid profiling by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in samples obtained from ten healthy controls and ten castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients.
Results
Steroid measurements were comparable between MSP and serum. A small but consistent decrease of 8–21% compared to serum was observed when using CS plasma, which was considered to be within the acceptable margin. The minimal residual testosterone levels of CRPC patients could be sensitively quantified in both MSP and CS samples.
Conclusions
We validated the use of MSP and CS samples for multi-steroid profiling by LC–MS/MS. The optimised use of these samples in clinical trials will allow us to gain further insight into the steroid metabolism in PC patients.
Steroid hormones are essential signalling molecules in prostate cancer (PC). However, many studies focusing on liquid biomarkers fail to take the hormonal status of these patients into account. Steroid measurements are sensitive to bias caused by matrix effects, thus assessing potential matrix effects is an important step in combining circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis with hormone status.
Methods
We investigated the accuracy of multi-steroid hormone profiling in mechanically-separated plasma (MSP) samples and in plasma from CellSave Preservative (CS) tubes, that are typically used to obtain ctDNA, compared to measurements in serum. We performed multiplex steroid profiling by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in samples obtained from ten healthy controls and ten castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients.
Results
Steroid measurements were comparable between MSP and serum. A small but consistent decrease of 8–21% compared to serum was observed when using CS plasma, which was considered to be within the acceptable margin. The minimal residual testosterone levels of CRPC patients could be sensitively quantified in both MSP and CS samples.
Conclusions
We validated the use of MSP and CS samples for multi-steroid profiling by LC–MS/MS. The optimised use of these samples in clinical trials will allow us to gain further insight into the steroid metabolism in PC patients.
Date Issued
2021-03-01
Date Acceptance
2021-01-28
Citation
Steroids, 2021, 167
ISSN
0039-128X
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Steroids
Volume
167
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33556368
PII: S0039-128X(21)00012-X
Subjects
ABIRATERONE
Androgens
ANDROGENS
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
CellSave
Endocrinology & Metabolism
ESTRADIOL
IMMUNOASSAYS
INCREASED SURVIVAL
LC-MS
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
MEN
MS
PERFORMANCE
PROSTATE-CANCER
Science & Technology
SERUM TUBES
Steroids
Testosterone
TESTOSTERONE
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
108800
Date Publish Online
2021-02-05