DETERMINATION OF REFERENCE-STANDARDS FOR ADRENAL-STEROIDS EXCRETION IN NORMAL PREPUBERAL CHILDREN

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (2) , 95-104
Abstract
An improved method of GLC for routine estimation of adrenal steroids in urine is presented. It was applied to the exploration of steroid output in 120 normal prepubertal children of both sexes aged 3 mo.-12 yr. Urinary data were compared to plasma values of adrenal hormones estimated by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Analysis of the relationships between steroid outputs and bone age revealed that the excretion of cortisol catabolites was expressed by a saturation curve whereas that of .DELTA. 4-3 keto androgen catabolites were expressed by geometrical progression curves; urine dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and plasma DHEA-sulfate showed outbreaks of high values beyond 6 yr of age which ruled out all curve fitting attempts. The computation of these relationships allowed the determination of confidence belts of the various regressions which appear to be a useful tool to estimate the delayed or accelerated character of adrenal activity in prepubertal childhood. Comparison of the various urinary (GLC) and plasma (RIA) parameters enabled comment on adrenal puberty.