Determination of Gonadal and Adrenal Steroid Hormones

Blood samples are taken during the study or at autopsy. Gonadal steroid hormones are determined by specific immunoassays requiring very small sample volumes, extraction procedures are no longer needed. Steroid receptors can be determined in tissue samples storage at autopsy, for later decision on necessary investigations. 

Hormone concentrations are calculated from standard curves using the appropriate steroids as reference standards. Sample data are calculated as hormone concentrations in serum or per unit tissue weight (mg), when gonadal tissue is extracted. Group means are calculated and the significance of differences is assessed by the appropriate statistical methods. 

For the steroid hormone assays, they are are many suppliers nowadays, an internet search for suitable reagents 

DSL Diagnostic Systems Inc. (2005) Steroid hormone assays for clinical diagnostics and research applications. http //secure.dslabs.com/Products/ProdInfo.asp Lieberman BA (ed) (2001) Steroid receptor methods protocols and assays. Methods in molecular biology, vol 176. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ 

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