7-Hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone epimers in human serum and saliva -: Comparison of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and radioimmunoassay

Recent reports demonstrated that 7-hydroxylated metabolites of dehydroepiandrosterone (RHEA) possess immunomodulatory and antiglucocorticoid properties. Increased 7 alpha -OH-DHEA levels were found in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Hence, measurement of steroids in patients with autoimmune diseases or disturbances in the central nervous system could be of interest. A new sensitive GC-MS method for the determination of 7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone epimers was developed and compared with previously developed radioimmunoassays. Besides serum, these steroids were, for the first time, measured in saliva where their concentrations were about five times lower. 7 alpha- and 7 beta -epimer levels correlated well in both body fluids and they were larger in male. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.