New DHEA-S Assay for Measurement of Adrenal Production

Beckman Coulter, Inc. has expanded the fertility menu on its Access family of immunoassay systems with the release of a test for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S). DHEA-S is a steroid hormone synthesized primarily by the adrenal glands. It reaches maximum levels in both men and women about the third decade of life, decreasing thereafter. The long half-life of serum DHEA-S, along with its low diurnal variation, makes it useful for assessing adrenal production.

The DHEA-S assay gives laboratories the ability to produce rapid, accurate results for the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, as well as in the evaluation of adrenocortical diseases, like congenital adrenal hyperplasia and adrenal tumours. The test can be performed on serum or plasma and requires a sample volume of 10 µL. The liquid, ready-to-use reagent features an analytical sensitivity of less than 2 µg/dL and a dynamic range from 2–1.000 µg/dL. Total precision is less than or equal to 10% of the coefficient of variation (CV) at greater than or equal to 20 µg/dL. Time to first result is less than 30 minutes. The assay provides 28-day calibration stability. The DHEA-S test is available on the Synchron LXi 725 clinical system, which combines chemistry and immunoassay analysis technology with data management and automated sample handling on a single instrument.