Determination of urinary testosterone and epitestosterone in men, women, and children.

A new, relatively simple method for simultaneous determinations of urinary testosterone and epitestosterone is described. The novel feature is the periodic oxidation of testosterone and epitestosterone glucuronides with sodium metaperiodate. The chromatographic purification of the ether extracts consisted of alumina-column chromatography, followed by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel of free testosterone and epitestosterone and their trimethylsilyl ether derivatives. The final quantitation was carried out by gas-liquid chromatography. Average testosterone and epitestosterone excretion in 11 normal male subjects was 61.3 m.g./24 hr. (range 9.7-109.7) and 45.8 g./24 hr. (range 3.7-111.0), respectively; in 10 normal female subjects, 8.8 g./24 hr. (range 2.1-13.8) and 10.7 J.g./ 24 hr. (range 0.8-18.9), respectively; and in 7 normal children under 11 years of age, 1.7 g./24 hr. (range 0.3-3.9) and 1.4 .g./24 hr. (range 0.4-3.2), respectively.