Urinary Steroid Metabolites in Children. I. Individual 17-Ketosteroids in Children with Normal Sexual Development

Abstract

The excretion of individual 17-ketosteroids was determined in 34 normal children between 3 and 16 yrs. of age without treatment and in 15 after 2 to 6 days of stimulation with Zinc ACTH. Mild procedures were used to hydrolyze the sulfate and glu-curonide conjugates. Separation of the steroids was effected either by gradient elution from an alumina column or by thin layer chromatog-raphy. No dehydroepiandrosterone-epiandrosterone could be detected in the urine of any child under the age of 8 yrs. whether or not the child was subjected to ACTH stimulation. It was noted in the urines of most children between 9 and 13, and in all those between 14 and 16 yr., but was not increased by ACTH stimulation. Androsterone and etiochol-anolone increased gradually with age between 3 and 13 yr. After 13 yrs. of age marked increases were noted. ACTH administration did not consistently increase urinary levels of androsterone and etiocholano-lone. The major 11-oxygenated steroid excreted by all children was 11-ketoetiocholanolone. Increases in excretion of C19O3 steroids were gradual with age. No striking differences were noted between the sexes in the excretion patterns of the individual steroids. The appearance of dehydroepiandrosterone coincides with the very early stages of puberty and suggests an important role for this steroid in the process of sexual maturation. Excretion of dehydroepiandrosterone as well as that of androsterone and etiocholanolone increased considerably during the pubertal period but adult levels were not achieved by 16 yrs. of age.