Profiles of ligands of sex hormone binding globulin in human serum.
Ligands of the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in samples of human serum were extracted into diethyl ether and the dried extracts chromatographed using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. The resulting fractions were assayed by competitive binding to SHBG against a testosterone standard. Values for dihydrotestosterone and testosterone were similar to those obtained using radioimmunoassay. While the bulk of the material in male and non-pregnant female serum corresponded to other known ligands (5-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol), the quantities of material in the androstanediol and androstenediol regions exceeded the known values for these steroids in hirsute women and in late pregnancy, suggesting the presence of other steroids as well. In addition, there was a large amount of material of low polarity present in pregnancy which was not accounted for by recognized circulating ligands. A normal pattern was found in a man with Addison's disease, suggesting that the bulk of SHBG ligands in men are derived from the testis. This was also indicated by the 60-fold higher levels of testosterone and androstenediol seen in normal testicular vein serum. High values of testosterone, androstanediol and androstenediol in a woman with untreated 21-hydroxylase deficiency suggested that large amounts of these compounds (or their precursors) can be produced by the adrenal and that their production by the adrenal is regulated at least in part by ACTH.
Reproductive Physiology Unit, Montreal General Hospital, Canada.
B E
BE
Murphy
D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*
D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D008024:Ligands; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin