Urinary Excretion of Individual 17-Ketosteroids by Normal Children

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Abstract
Of the six fractions that can be separated by this method in 52 normal children, hardly any quantitative change occurs with increasing age in the elimination of the 11-oxy-17-KS. On the other hand, the quantity of 11-desoxy-17-KS rises significantly with age. Of the ratios computed from the various groups of the 17-KS fractions which reflect the function of the adrenal cortex, the ll-oxy-17-KS/ll-desoxy-17-KS ratio is very high in infancy and decreases to the adult value at the advent of puberty. The E/A value is usually higher in children than in adults, and the high E/A value measured immediately before puberty seems to indicate an increased production of pre-androgens in the adrenal cortex. The total amount of 17-KS and of 17-OH determined simultaneously reaches the values of adults after a gradual increase beginning in infancy.