Metabolism of steroid by myeloperoxidase

Abstract

Steroids, which have a hydroxyl group at 3-position, such as estrone, estradiol and estriol, were effectively oxidized by myeloperoxidase and hydrogen peroxide, and the oxidation reaction was accelerated by adding halide, chloride or bromide into the reaction mixture. The absorption spectra of these steroids after their oxidation in the presence or absence of halide in the reaction system showed serious differences.
In a high pressure reverse phase partition chromatography, it was detected that the sample of estriol oxidized by the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-chloride system at a low acidity contained two major and several minor components.
The results suggest that the steroids with a hyroxyl group at 3-position are degraded by the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-halide system.