Differentiation of steroid isomers by steroid analogues adducted trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry

Steroids are one of the important indicators of health and disease. However, due to the high similarity of steroid structures, there are several potential obstacles in the differentiation of steroids, especially for their isomers. Herein, we described a trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) approach based on the steroid analogue adduction for isomer-specific identification of steroids. The application of dexamethasone (DEX) to form heterodimers with steroids enhanced the separation of their isomers in TIMS. Two isomer pairs including 17-hydroxyprogesterone/11-deoxycorticosterone and androsterone/epiandrosterone were successfully separated as the heterodimers with DEX by TIMS. The stability of DEX-adducted heterodimers is comparable with steroid dimers. Owing to the high separation efficiency and stability, the relative quantification of steroid isomers was demonstrated with the proposed method.

Automated summary

Steroids are important indicators of health and disease. Differentiating between steroids, especially their isomers, can be challenging due to their structural similarities. This study presents a trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) approach based on steroid analogue adduction for specific identification of isomers. The use of dexamethasone (DEX) as a heterodimer enhancer allowed successful separation of isomer pairs in TIMS.