Increased total 7 alpha-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone in serum of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Evidence has indicated that circulating adrenal steroid quantitites were significantly changed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aside of 3 beta-sulfatation and 3 beta-acylations, levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) result from production and metabolic transformation yields. 7 alpha-Hydroxylation of DHEA has been described in humans, and 7 alpha-hydroxy-DHEA may be responsible for the known antiglucocorticoid effects of DHEA. Using a negative ion fragmentometry method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry on trifluoroacetate derivatives, we measured levels of free 7 alpha-hydroxy-DHEA as well as its sulfated conjugate and its fatty acid esters in serum of 10 female patients with AD and of 8 age-matched healthy control women. Free 7 alpha-hydroxy-DHEA levels in AD and controls were not significantly different (240.2 +/- 37.2 pg/ml and 206.8 +/- 21.6 pg/ml, respectively), but sulfate conjugate levels were significantly increased in AD (p = .01) (262 +/- 28.4 and 145.4 +/- 27.6, respectively) as well as fatty acid esters (p = .041) (65.7 +/- 6.9 and 40.7 +/- 9.2, respectively). These results indicated that the total 7 alpha-hydroxy-DHEA produced was significantly increased in AD (p = .024) and may contribute to the disease-related disturbances of DHEA production and metabolism.
Attal-Khémis
S
S
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France.
Dalmeyda
V
V
Michot
J L
JL
Roudier
M
M
Morfin
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; C003587:7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone