Urine steroid hormone profile analysis in cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency: implication for the backdoor pathway to dihydrotestosterone.
BACKGROUND
Although the "backdoor" pathway to dihydrotestosterone has been postulated in the fetal-to-early-infantile period of patients with cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (PORD), clinical data in support of this pathway remain limited.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to obtain clinical evidence for the presence of the backdoor pathway in PORD.


METHODS
This was a collaboration study between laboratories and hospitals.


METHODS
Twenty-two Japanese patients with molecularly confirmed PORD and 1763 control subjects participated in this study.


METHODS
Urine steroid profile analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In five patients and 776 control subjects, urine samples were obtained before 12 months of age.


METHODS
The main outcome measure was identification of a urine steroid(s) indicating the backdoor pathway.


RESULTS
In the PORD patients, pregnanediol, pregnanetriolone, and pregnanetriol were obviously elevated, and the urine steroid ratios reflecting CYP17A1 and CYP21A2 activities were decreased throughout the examined ages. Furthermore, etiocholanolone and 11-hydroxyandrosterone, which should originate almost exclusively from androstenedione in the conventional "frontdoor" pathway, were grossly normal or somewhat decreased since early infancy, whereas androsterone, which can be derived not only from androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone in the conventional frontdoor pathway but also from 5alpha-pregnane-3alpha,17alpha-diol-20-one in the backdoor pathway, was increased during early infancy and remained grossly normal thereafter. Thus, the androsterone to etiocholanolone ratio was increased during early infancy and remained grossly normal thereafter. 5alpha-Pregnane-3alpha,17alpha-diol-20-one was elevated throughout the examined ages.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased androsterone excretion during early infancy, as compared with the etiocholanolone and 11-hydroxyandrosterone excretions in the same period, suggests the presence of the backdoor pathway in PORD.
Homma
Keiko
K
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Ohkura, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan. tomogata@nch.go.jp
Hasegawa
Tomonobu
T
Nagai
Toshiro
T
Adachi
Masanori
M
Horikawa
Reiko
R
Fujiwara
Ikuma
I
Tajima
Toshihiro
T
Takeda
Ryoujun
R
Fukami
Maki
M
Ogata
Tsutomu
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000738:Androsterone / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005043:Etiocholanolone / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009154:Mutation; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D009251:NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000652:urine; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011277:Pregnanediones; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; C009026:pregnane-3,17-diol-11,20-dione; D005043:Etiocholanolone; D000738:Androsterone; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase; C501892:CYP17A1 protein, human; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D009251:NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase