Evaluation of electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for simultaneous detection of estrone and its metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

The levels of estrogens and/or their metabolites play important roles in carcinogenesis, reproductive function, and sexual development during perinatal and adolescence periods. The main purpose of this report was to investigate the applicability of high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and/or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) for simultaneous detection of estrone (E1) and its six metabolites. Both positive and negative ionization modes in ESI and APCI were used to evaluate the signal responses of seven target analytes.