Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is a steroid hormone commonly measured to assess neuroendocrine activity related to HPA-axis function, stress physiology, and broader health outcomes, with significance for Human Biology research. To facilitate research assessing DHEA-S concentrations using minimally invasive sample collection methods, we present validation results for a competitive immunoassay to quantify DHEA-S in dried blood spots (DBS) collected via finger prick. Results demonstrate acceptable levels of inter- and intra-assay variation, linearity of dilution, lowest limit of detection, and agreement between matched DBS and plasma samples (Pearson's R = 0.96). The protocol presented here using a modified commercially available assay kit offers a practical alternative for evaluating DHEA-S in a wide range of settings.
DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.70182
Authors: Elena Hinz, Aaron A. Miller, Herman Pontzer
Institutions: Duke University, Northwestern University
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Duke University
OpenAlex ID: W4417457809