title: Hormonal and clinical responses to prednisone treatment in adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
abstract: The effects of prednisone therapy and the withdrawal of prednisone for 3 days on hormonal relationships was investigated in 6 adolescent patients, age 10--19 years with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Prednisone continuously suppressed adrenal release of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) in 4 patients and adequately controlled 17-oxosteroid (17-OS) excretion in 5. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) concentrations were not elevated during or 3 days after withdrawal of medication. Growth hormone (GH) secretion was not suppressed by prednisone. Withdrawal of treatment was associated with a decrease in the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to luteinizing hormone (LH) ratio in 5 patients and a rise in serum testosterone in 4. The clinical courses of these patients emphasize the difficulty in achieving optimum control.
mesh_terms: D015068:17-Ketosteroids / Q000652:urine; D000293:Adolescent; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015068:17-Ketosteroids; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D011241:Prednisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone