Urinary steroid metabolites and the overgrowth of lean and fat tissues in obese girls

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Studies were made of steroid metabolites excreted in the urine of 17 obese girls 11.4 to 16.8 yr and 17 normal girls 11 to 17 yr. Creatinine excretion (muscle mass), total body water (or deuterium space), lean body mass and body fat were determined in the obese girls. Extracellular volume (corrected bromide space) was also measured and by difference with body water, intracellular water or soft tissue cell mass was calculated. In normal girls 24-h creatinine excretion was determined, but body water was predicted from height and weight. It was found, as in previous studies, that the obese girls had excess muscle mass and soft tissue cell mass for height. The excess growth of muscle, lean tissue, and body length in obese girls correlated with increments in oxosteroid (17 ketosteroid) excretion. The overall weight increase correlated with increased excretion of corticosteroid metabolites—a finding of interest since a physiological Cushing's syndrome was postulated for fat girls many years ago. When the normal and obese girls were divided by age at 14 yr and the subgroups compared (normal obese) the younger girls showed differences with respect to height, weight, total body water, fat and percentage fat. Differences in steroid metabolites were not found. In older girls the same findings were made again, but here it was clear that the increments in body size, particularly muscle mass, correlated with augmented oxosteroid excretion. Evidence is cited that these findings are not just related to a larger steroid pool in obese girls.