Increased Plasma 17-ketosteroid Concentration in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Abstract

Detns. on 15 adult male controls revealed a plasma concn. of 74 [plus or minus] 7 [mu]g. 17-ketosteroids/100 ml. Four children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia had values between 80 and 360 [mu]g./100 ml. plasma. Prepubertal normal children had plasma values of less than 3 [mu]g./100 ml. No 17-ketosterbids could be found in the plasma of a gonadectomized-adrenalectomized adult. When 1 of the children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia was treated with cortisone, plasma 17-ketosteroid values fell to less than 16 [mu]g./100 ml. It would appear that the 17-ketosteroids of peripheral human plasma are closely associated with, if not bound to, plasma proteins. The analytic procedure requires acid hydrolysis to liberate plasma 17-ketosteroids.