title: Urinary steroid excretion rates in acromegaly.
abstract: Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, urinary excretion rates of cortisol, cortisone and of various steroid metabolites were determined in 35 acromegalic patients (18 men, 17 women) and in 45 age- and weight-matched controls. The ratio of excreted cortisol/cortisone was similar in acromegalics (0.75 +/- 0.20) and in controls (0.75 +/- 0.24). Hence, the preponderance of the main cortisone-derived metabolite, tetrahydrocortisone, over the main metabolites of cortisol (tetrahydrocortisol and allotetrahydrocortisol; p < 0.01), which was seen both in female and in male acromegalics and which was directly correlated with the postglucose concentrations of growth hormone (r = 0.508, p < 0.01), suggests a decreased activity of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in acromegaly. Furthermore, the preponderance of etiocholanolone over androsterone (p < 0.01) in men (though not in women) with acromegaly--the ratio androsterone/etiocholanolone being negatively correlated with the serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor type 1 (r = -0.406, p < 0.05)--suggests a relatively reduced activity of hepatic 5alpha-reductase in male acromegalics.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. h.vierhapper@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vierhapper
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nowotny
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Waldhäusl
mesh_terms: D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D000172:Acromegaly / Q000652:urine*; D000738:Androsterone / Q000652:urine; D003348:Cortisone / Q000652:urine*; D005043:Etiocholanolone / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013760:Tetrahydrocortisol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D013761:Tetrahydrocortisone / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: C006461:allotetrahydrocortisol; D013761:Tetrahydrocortisone; D013760:Tetrahydrocortisol; D005043:Etiocholanolone; D000738:Androsterone; D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; D003348:Cortisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone