title: Seasonal variation of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and urinary androgen excretion in post-menopausal women.
abstract: Urinary levels of the glucuronides of androsterone, aetiocholanolone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol and 5 beta-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, were determined in twenty-two-post menopausal women both in spring and in autumn--winter. In sixteen women dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate plasma levels were also measured. Plasma DHAS levels as well as urinary metabolite excretion values were significantly higher in autumn--winter than in spring. This seasonal variability should be taken into account in long-term studies involving adrenal hormone levels, excretion or metabolism. Moreover this seasonal variability might be of relevance for the cyclical growth rate of hormone dependent tumours such as breast cancer.
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000652:urine*; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D000738:Androsterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; C027927:androsterone glucuronide; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; C028895:androstane-3,17-diol glucuronide; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D000738:Androsterone