Testosterone Measured by 10 Immunoassays and by Isotope-Dilution Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in Sera from 116 Men, Women, and Children

Abstract

Background: Commercially available testosterone immunoassays give divergent results, especially at the low concentrations seen in women. We compared immunoassays and a nonimmunochemical method that could quantify low testosterone concentrations. Methods: We measured serum testosterone in 50 men, 55 women, and 11 children with use of eight nonisotopic immunoassays, two isotopic immunoassays, and isotope-dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (ID/GC-MS). Results: Compared with ID/GC-MS, 7 of the 10 immunoassays tested overestimated testosterone concentrations in samples from women; mean immunoassay results were 46% above those obtained by ID/GC-MS. The immunoassays underestimated testosterone concentrations in samples from men, giving mean results 12% below those obtained by ID/GC-MS. In women, at concentrations of 0.6–7.2 nmol/L, 3 of the 10 immunoassays gave positive mean differences >2.0 nmol/L (range, −0.7 to 3.3 nmol/L) compared with ID/GC-MS; in men at concentrations of 8.2–58 nmol/L, 3 of the 10 immunoassays tested gave mean differences >4.0 nmol/L (range, −4.8 to 2.6 nmol/L). Conclusion: None of the immunoassays tested was sufficiently reliable for the investigation of sera from children and women, in whom very low (0.17 nmol/L) and low (<1.7 nmol/L) testosterone concentrations are expected.