title: Alternate pathway 17,20-lyase enzyme activity in the adrenals is enhanced in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the activity of the enzyme cytochrome P450c17alpha in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatients at Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight women with PCOS aged 25.44 +/- 4.37 years (mean +/- SD) and 18 normal women aged 26.94 +/- 3.17 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of 11-deoxycortisol, androstenedione (A), and 17alpha-hydroxy progesterone were measured before and 30 and 60 minutes after ACTH (0.25 mg i.v.) injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant correlation between basal levels of 11-deoxycortisol (4.05 +/-1.16 ng/mL) and A (3.36 +/- 0.97 ng/mL) (r = 0.539). The peak level of 11-deoxycortisol (7.82 +/- 2.36 ng/mL) was also significantly correlated with the peak level of A (6.66 +/- 1.32 ng/mL) (r = 0.570) in women with PCOS. There was no statistically significant correlation between basal A (2.33 +/- 0.50 ng/mL) and basal 11-deoxycortisol (2.71 +/- 0.59 ng/mL) or between peak A (3.38 +/- 0.50 ng/mL) and peak 11 -deoxycortisol (3.68 +/- 0.48 ng/mL) levels in control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that PCOS is characterized by enhanced activity of 17,20-lyase enzyme in an alternate pathway between 11-deoxycortisol and A in the adrenal glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keleştimur
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000201:enzymology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003350:Cortodoxone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000735:Androstenedione; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D003350:Cortodoxone