title: Ecdysteroid-like compounds in human urine: they can occur in the absence of any parasitic infection.
abstract: Ecdysteroids (compounds related to 20-hydroxyecdysone, the insect molting hormone) can appear in the blood and urine of man, as a result of an infection with helminths. It has been assumed that the products are released by parasites. However, we found that the phenomenon is not restricted to helminthiases, but is widely spread among patients suffering from various diseases or injuries: twenty percent of hospital in-patients had urine highly positive in our test. This was due to the appearance of immunoreactive compounds not found in healthy people. Among them, one was remarkable for being largely predominant in some patients. These findings indicate that the origin and significance of ecdysteroids in man should be reconsidered. Since they appear only in association with severe pathological conditions, they could be of potential interest as a clinical marker.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U315, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gharib
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baswaïd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quilici
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Reggi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D026461:Ecdysteroids; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D026461:Ecdysteroids; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones