Direct determination of human urinary cortisol metabolites by HPLC CRIMS

Feasibility of using high performance liquid chromatographic input to the chemical reaction interface mass spectrometry system was assessed by measuring the profile of hydrolyzed urinary metabolites of [9,12,12-²H₃]cortisol in six human subjects with no preparation other than hydrolysis and solid phase extraction. Relative amounts of tetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisone, and cortolones (as the sum of α- and β-) were 0.417 ± 0.047, 0.523 ± 0.036 and 0.059 ± 0.019, respectively. The constant reproducibility of the measurements coupled with a profile consistent with that observed by other workers shows that the technique represents an important tool in the determination of metabolites of endogenous molecules.