Reference steroid profiles in 0 to 3 day old neonates

The excretion of 16 alpha -hydroxypregnenolone, 16 alpha -hydroxy-DHEA, and 11-oxo-pregnanetriol was studied in 28 neonates with unambiguous genitalia . The 16 alpha -hydroxypregnenolone:16a-hydroxy-DHEA ratio was determined a nd compared with the steroid ratios described by Shackleton and by Reynolds , and used to diagnose neonates with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The te chnique used was capillary gas chromatography after solid phase extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, and derivatization of the analytes. Duplicate analys es were performed to provide identification (mass selective detection-quadr upole ion trap) and quantification (flame ionization detection). (C) 2001 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.