Reference intervals for steroid hormones in healthy 6-to 15-year-old girls based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in China

To the Editor:Adrenal and gonadal function can be evaluated by analyzing steroid hormone levels in different age groups,especially adolescent girls.Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS or highperformance LC[HPLC]-MS/MS)offers a combination of the physical separation capabilities of HPLC and the mass analysis capabilities of tandem MS,which improves sensitivity and specificity in measuring steroid hormone levelsJ1,21 This method is more sensitive,effective,specific,and homogenous than other methods for analyzing children’s steroid hormone levels in the clinic.Studies on the reference intervals of steroid sex hormones have more commonly performed with Caucasian subjects than with Chinese subjects.^31 LC-MS/MS-based reference intervals for steroid hormones in China,especially for healthy girls,have not yet been reported.With LC-MS/MS becoming increasingly common,the establishment of reference intervals is growing more urgent.Here,we define appropriate reference ranges for pregnenolone,17ahydroxyprogesterone,corticosterone,dehydroepiandrosterone,androstenedione,and free testosterone.