EVALUATION OF AN OESTRADIOL RADIOIMMUNOASSAY BY HIGH-RESOLUTION MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHY

Abstract

Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research, Welsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF4 4XX (Received 24 March 1977) A technique for the analysis and measurement of C19-steroids by high-resolution selected ion monitoring has been used in this laboratory to study the level of endogenous steroids in human prostatic tissue (Millington, 1975; Millington, Buoy, Brooks, Harper & Griffiths, 1975). A similar procedure has now been used as a reference method to determine the concentration of oestradiol-17β in plasma samples from a quality control scheme for the Supra-Regional Assay Service (SAS) in the United Kingdom. Results from this combined gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method were compared with those obtained from the assay of oestradiol-17β with the routine radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure used in this laboratory (Golder, Phillips, Fahmy, Preece, Jones, Henk & Griffiths, 1976). All gas Chromatographie column packings and the reagent bis-(N,O)trimethylsilyl acetamide were supplied by Jones Chromatography Limited, Llanbradach, Glamorgan.