Excretion of Two Δ5-3β-OH, 16 α-hydroxysteroids by Normal Infants and Children

Abstract

The quantities of two Δ5-3β OH,16α-hydroxysteroids,16-OH-pregnenolone (16-OH-PG) and 16-OH-dehydroepiandrosterone (16-OH-DHA) have been determined in 41 24-hr urine specimens from 35 infants and children. 16-OH-PG was present in all samples obtained during the first month of life and in no samples obtained after 6 months of age. 16-OH-DHA was present in 18 of 21 samples obtained in the first month and also was absent in samples obtained after 6 months of age. The excretion of these steroids in early infancy is considered to be consistent with the known enzymatic characteristics of the fetal and neonatal adrenal cortex: low activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and high activity of 6α-hydroxylation. The relative roles of the liver and of the fetal zone of the adrenal cortex in determining the decreasing excretion with increasing age are discussed.