title: Metabolic profiles of steroids in urine of alcoholics after withdrawal.
abstract: The metabolic profiles of steroids in urine were analyzed in 13 male alcoholics during long-term abstinence, in most cases exceeding 3 months. The ratios of 5 beta- to 5 alpha-reduced steroid metabolites (etiocholanolone/androsterone and tetrahydrocortisol/allotetrahydrocortisol) were initially elevated but decreased slowly following withdrawal. The half-life of this normalization exceeded 3 weeks. The change was most marked in patients with signs of liver injury, and may reflect a relative decrease of the activity of hepatic 5 alpha-reductase. The ratio between cortisol metabolites carrying a 11 beta-hydroxy and an 11-oxo group was elevated in the patients and showed no tendency to normalize. This might reflect a decrease in the peripheral inactivation of cortisol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cronholm
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viestam-Rains
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sjövall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000652:urine*; D000738:Androsterone / Q000652:urine; D005043:Etiocholanolone / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007536:Isomerism; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D011278:Pregnanes / Q000652:urine; D013256:Steroids / Q000652:urine*; D013695:Temperance; D013760:Tetrahydrocortisol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D013761:Tetrahydrocortisone / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D011278:Pregnanes; D013256:Steroids; C006461:allotetrahydrocortisol; C003545:cortolone; C003544:cortol; D013761:Tetrahydrocortisone; D013760:Tetrahydrocortisol; D005043:Etiocholanolone; D000738:Androsterone; D010088:Oxidoreductases