Determination of various steroids in normal adrenal glands and adrenocortical tumours by liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry

Seven steroids in normal adrenal gland and those of patients with aldosteronoma or Cushing's adenoma were measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with an atmospheric pressure ionization interface system. Using this system, quasi-molecular ions [M + H]+ of standard cortisol, corticosterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione and Δ4-androstenedione and [(M + H) − H2O]+ ions of aldosterone and dehydroe-piandrosterone were observed as their base peaks, and quasi-molecular ions [M + H]+ and [(M + H) − H2O]+ ions of seven steroids were clearly observed in chromatograms of biological samples. The ratio of glucocorticoid (cortisol) to mineralocorticoid (corticosterone) content was measured, and found to be significantly lower for aldosteronomas and higher for Cushing's adenomas than for normal adrenals. These findings indicate that the method had suffficient sensitivity for the identification and simultaneous measurement of a variety of adrenal gland steroids.