Regulation of urinary steroid excretion. 2. Spontaneous changes in the pattern of daily excretion in mental patients

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Abstract
Daily 17-ketosteroid excretion in the urine of mental patients; estimated at intervals for several months, showed either constant or widely varying values. Different types of diurnal variation of 17-ketosteroid excretion were recorded in mental patients. A patient suffering from manic-depressive psychosis excreted a high proportion of 3(beta)-hydroxy-17-keto-steroids, accompanied by a relatively low cortin value, during most of the depressive phases. The reverse changes were usually observed during manic phases. The possible relationships between steroid hormone production and mental symptoms are discussed in the light of the above findings.
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