title: Adrenal steroid concentrations in children seven to seventeen years of age.
abstract: During puberty, serum steroid concentrations change dramatically. The objective of this study was to determine the adrenal steroid concentrations in children from 7 to 17 years of age. Tanner stage was determined in each child by physical examination. 11-Deoxycortisol, pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were measured by immunoassay. The median and central 95% of the steroid concentrations were determined for age, gender, and Tanner stage. Except for 11-deoxycortisol, all of the steroids exhibited an increase in concentration after age 7-9 years in both boys and girls. 11-Deoxycortisol, which is made exclusively in the adrenal cortex, declined with age and Tanner stage. This suggests that a rise in gonadal function and decreased efficiency of 11beta-hydroxylase with age may contribute to an increase in the remaining steroids. Testosterone concentrations increased more dramatically in boys, but increases were seen with each Tanner stage in girls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Utah Health Science Center, UT, USA. Wayne.Meikle@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: A Wayne
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Meikle
authors.forename: Mark M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kushnir
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rockwood
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Pattison
authors.forename: Alan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Tonya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sandrock
authors.forename: Ashley M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bunker
authors.forename: Amit R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Phanslkar
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone / Q000097:blood; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003350:Cortodoxone / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000097:blood; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood; D012737:Sex Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D011284:Pregnenolone; D003350:Cortodoxone