Urinary steroid metabolites were measured by glass capillary column gas chromatography in normal subjects, fourteen patients with adrenal tumor and nine patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The method is described for simultaneous estimation of the following neutral steroids in urine: androsterone (An), etiocholanolone (Et), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 11-oxoetiocholanolone (O-Et), 11β-hydroxyandrosterone (OHA), 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone (OHE), pregnanediol (PD), pregnanetriol (PT), tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol (THS), pregnanetriolone (PTL), Δ
5-pregnenetriol (Δ5-PT), tetrahydrocortisone (THE), tetrahydrocorticosterone (THB), tetrahydrocortisol (THF), allo-tetrahydrocortisol (a-THF), cortolone (Co), cortol (Cor). The method involves an ethyl acetate extraction of the urine after enzymatic hydrolysis and gas chromatographic separation of the steroid as their methoximetrimethylsilyl ether derivatives on a 0.3mm×30m OV-101 glass capillary column.
Profiles of urinary steroid metabolites in normal subjects (14 males an 5 females) were studied. Higher values of 5β/5α steroid ratio were obtained in female subjects than in male subjects. These differences may be related to sex differences in liver enzyme activities of 5β/5α reductases.
Fourteen patients with adrenal tumor consisted of two non-functioning adenomas, one virilizing adenoma, four primary aldosteronomas, four adenomas causing Cushing's syndrome and three carcinomas. A unique pattern dominated by the 5β and 11β-hydroxy steroids was confirmed in five patients with Cushing's syndrome, including two carcinomas. Excessive excretions of THS and Δ
5-PT which resulted from relative deficiencies of 11β-hydroxylase and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, were found in all three carcinomas. These findings were considered to be characteristic of carcinoma, although the excessive excretions of THS and Δ
5-PT were also detected in another patient with a large adenoma associated with virilization. One patient with carcinoma was responsive to ACTH stimulation while the others showed almost no response to exogenous ACTH.
Nine patients with CAH (21-hydroxylase deficiency) consisted of four untreated adult cases and five cases treated by administration of hydrocortisone. A typical gas chromatographic profile composed of markedly elevated excretion levels of OHA, PT, PTL and moderately elevated levels of other androgens (An, Et, DHEA, O-Et, OHE), as well as those of PD and Δ
5-PT was observed in untreated patients. A pattern of cortisol metabolites dominated by the 5α steroid was also observed. Elevated excretion levels of OHA, PT and PTL persisted in well-treated cases.
Analyses of urinary steroid profiles by our capillary column gas choromatography is a good method for detection of characteristic changes in patients with adrenal tumor and CAH.
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