174 inform March 2009, Vol. 20 (3)
A method for determination of free and of the blends, SL40/PMF (70:30, w/w), did 23 ± 11 and 22 ± 10 g/d, respectively. After
glucuronide-conjugated female steroid hor- not improve crystal polymorphism but had control for potential confounders, women
mones in urine at the pg mL−1 level is here significant effects on crystal morphology. in the highest quintile of PHVO intake had
presented. For this purpose, a dual approach The emulsifiers significantly delayed crystal higher plasma concentrations of C-reactive
with or without β-glucuronidase hydrolysis growth, resulting in smaller crystal sizes protein (CRP; percentage difference from
has been developed to succeed in this analy- as compared with the control. They were lowest quintile: 45%; P for trend: <0.01),
sis. The target analytes were two progesto- unable to inhibit the formation of granular tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α; 66%; P
gens—progesterone and pregnenolone—and crystals (30−140 μm), which are undesir- for trend: <0.01), interleukin-6 (72%; P
three endogenous estrogens—estradiol, able in margarine, after 4 weeks of storage for trend: <0.05), and soluble intercellular
estriol, and estrone. Separation and detec- at 0°C. Blends treated with S-170 and STS adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1; 22%; P for
tion were carried out by liquid chromatog- showed many small evenly distributed crys- trend: <0.01) than did women in the lowest
raphy, electrospray ionization, and tandem tals interspersed with large crystal aggre- quintile. In contrast, higher consumption of
mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS–MS) gates (after 4 weeks of storage), whereas non-HVOs was associated with lower cir-
with a triple quadrupole (qQq) mass detec- the blend treated with DMG and the control culating concentrations of CRP (percentage
tor. The determination step was optimized showed irregularly shaped globular crystals, difference between top and bottom quintiles:
by multiple reaction monitoring for highly also interspersed with large crystal aggre- –23%; P for trend: 0.05), TNF-α (–29%; P
selective identification and sensitive quan- gates. However, these crystal aggregates for trend: <0.01), serum amyloid A (–24%;
tification of female hormones in a complex were not observed upon visual and physical P for trend: <0.01), and sICAM-1 (–19%; P
sample such as human urine. examination and may therefore not affect for trend: <0.05). Adjustment for body mass
As these compounds are present in the sensory properties of the finished prod- index, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid pro-
urine at very low concentration (ng mL −1 ucts negatively. files slightly attenuated the associations in
level), a preconcentration and cleanup step some cases. Higher intakes of PHVOs are
by solid-phase extraction was automati- Home use of vegetable oils, associated with elevated concentrations of
cally carried out prior to the chromato- inflammatory biomarkers, whereas higher
graphic step to improve the sensitivity of markers of systemic intakes of non-HVOs are associated with
the method. This sample pretreatment was inflammation, and endothelial lower plasma concentrations of these bio-
performed using a lab-on-valve (LOV) dysfunction among women markers.
manifold,