TLDR A new method accurately measures steroid hormones in a few hair strands and could help study chronic stress and hair loss.
In a study by Hobo et al., a new LC-MS/MS method was developed to measure ten steroid hormones in 5 to 10 hair strands, demonstrating high accuracy (96.0-106.4% intra-assay and 96.9-104.9% inter-assay) and precision (4.8-10.6%). The method used a novel extraction solvent, improving cortisol extraction by about two-fold. It showed good linearity, acceptable matrix effects, and high recovery rates (94.1-108.3%) for the hormones. Applied to 6 healthy male volunteers, the method successfully measured 8 out of 10 steroids, suggesting its potential for evaluating chronic stress and alopecia-related conditions with minimal sample requirements. The method's sensitivity and low invasiveness make it suitable for large-scale studies and could clarify the relationship between steroid hormone levels and hair loss diseases.
30 citations
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April 2011 in “Rapid communications in mass spectrometry/RCM. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry” Analyzing hair with this method can help understand and monitor scalp conditions and treatment effects.
501 citations
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October 2008 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol levels can show increased stress during late pregnancy but only for up to six months.
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October 2021 in “Clinica Chimica Acta” Hormone levels in hair vary across the head, with the highest concentration of a key hormone linked to hair loss at the top.
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November 2022 in “Toxics” The method accurately measures 19 steroid hormones in human blood and urine using a small sample and is suitable for large-scale monitoring.
117 citations
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May 2017 in “Human Reproduction Update” The update highlights that non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia is common in women with excess male hormones, requires specific hormone tests for diagnosis, and has various treatment options depending on age and symptoms.
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October 2014 in “European Journal of Endocrinology” The European Society of Endocrinology advises individualized long-term management for PCOS, focusing on lifestyle changes, accurate diagnosis, and treatments for associated health risks and symptoms.
14 citations
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January 2018 in “Advances in Clinical Chemistry” The document concludes that hormonal biomarkers are key for diagnosing hyperandrogenemia in women and hypogonadism in men.
