LEVELS OF 17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTEROIDS AND 17-KETOSTEROIDS IN MATERNAL AND CORD PLASMA IN TERM ANENCEPHALY*†

Abstract

In plasma samples obtained from blood drawn simultaneously from the mother and the umbilical cord in 5 cases of term anencephalic infants the concentrations of 17-OH-CS were similar to those observed in normal infants, the cord levels being approximately half to a fourth the levels in the corresponding mother. Since the anencephalic infant has an atrophic adrenal devoid of fetal zone, it is concluded that 17-OH-CS in the normal infant are not produced by the fetal zone of the adrenal cortex. In 1 case of anencephaly, no 17-KS were detected in the plasma of either the mother or the umbilical cord. In another case the levels were lower than normal. A case of anencephaly is presented with a “normal” pharyngeal pituitary and with the usual atrophic adrenals, further suggesting that the fetal zone is not directly under the influence of the pituitary gland or that the pituitary is not secreting hormone.