Effects of Anabolic Steroids on Haptoglobin, Orosomucoid, Plasminogen, Fibrinogen, Transferrin, Ceruloplasmin, α1-Antitrypsin, β-Glucuronidase and Total Serum Proteins
The effect on plasma proteins of the anabolic steroids oxymetholone, methandrostenolone, stanozolol, fluoxymesterone, oxandrolone, norethandrolone, ethylestrenol, nandrolone phenpropionate, norbolethone and methandriol dipropionate, as well as 17α-methyltestosterone, given orally and sublingually, testosterone propionate, sublingual and parenteral aqueous testosterone, were studied on both volunteers and patients. The 17α-alkylated anabolic steroids induced marked changes, with significant elevations of haptoglobin, orosomucoid, protein-bound sialic acid, plasminogen and β-glucuronidase and depression of fibrinogen. α1-Antitrypsin was significantly increased by oxymetholone. On the other hand, the non-17α-alkylated androgens did not produce these changes. The C-3 ketone group, absent from ethylestrenol, seemed also to be important in the stimulation of plasma protein concentration. These effects on plasma proteins (including the fibrinogen decrease) are dose related and different from the ones obtained with estrogens or during an acute phase reaction. None of the androgens significantly changed total serum protein concentration. It is concluded that in general the 17α-alkyl group is necessary for these changes in plasma protein concentrations.