Hormonal reference data, in the form of nomograms relating baseline and stimulated levels of adrenal hormones, provide a means of genotyping steroid 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) deficiency in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Data from both 360- and 60-min ACTH stimulation tests are given. The serum hormone concentrations that have proven most useful in classifying 21-OH deficiency are 17-hydroxyprogesterone and delta 4-androstenedione. These nomograms clearly distinguish the patient with classical 21-OH deficiency from those with the milder symptomatic and asymptomatic nonclassical forms of 21-OH deficiency (previously referred to as late onset and cryptic forms) as well as heterozygotes for all of the forms and those subjects predicted by HLA genotyping to be unaffected. The nomograms also can identify individuals heterozygous for 21-OH deficiency in the general population who have a characteristic heterozygote response. These nomograms provide a powerful tool by which to assign the 21-OH deficiency genotype. Patients whose hormonal values fall on the regression line within a defined group are assigned to that group. In view of the strong correlation between the 60- and 360-min ACTH stimulation tests, the less cumbersome and shorter 60-min test can be used with the same confidence as the longer test.

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The high ratio of women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has remained unexplained, despite the recent description of metabolic abnormalities of estrogen and androgen metabolism. Alterations of steroid metabolism in patients with SLE could be important in the pathogenesis of this disease, since it has been reported that gonadal steroids modulate the immune system. Moreover, research with inbred lupus mice has shown that estrogens have adverse effects on the disease in both sexes, whereas androgen therapy or oophorectomy is protective in females. Recently, the finding of elevated testosterone oxidation at C-17 in females with SLE suggested that plasma androgen levels in males and females with SLE should be examined more closely. We studied the varying degrees of clinical activity, with regard to plasma levels of 4 significant androgens: testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in a series of 5 male and 42 female SLE patients. Decreased levels From The Rockefeller University,

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To investigate the adrenal cause of hyperandrogenism in peri- and postpubertal hirsute women, baseline and ACTH-stimulated serum concentrations of delta 5-17-hydroxypregnenolone (delta 5-17P), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), cortisol, delta 4-androstenedione, and testosterone were determined in 116 women with hirsutism or acne of peri- and postpubertal onset with or without menstrual abnormalities. The results were compared with the same steroid concentrations in 30 normal age-matched women. Sixteen of the 116 women with hirsutism whose ACTH-stimulated 17-OHP levels (mean +/- SD, 5404 +/- 3234 ng/dl; normal, 334 +/- 194) were markedly elevated while their ratios of delta 5-17P to 17-OHP (0.4 +/- 0.2; normal, 3.4 +/- 1.5) were low were diagnosed as having nonclassical symptomatic 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Seventeen other hirsute women, including 3 siblings, had very high responses of delta 5-17P (2276 +/- 669 ng/dl; normal, 985 +/- 327) and DHEA (2787 +/- 386 ng/dl; normal, 1050 +/- 384) to ACTH stimulation, with significantly elevated ratios of delta 5-17P to 17-OHP (11 +/- 2.0; normal, 3.4 +/- 1.5) and DHEA to delta 4-androstenedione (7.5 +/- 2.3; normal, 4.6 +/- 1.5). In these hirsute women, the morning serum delta 5-17P and DHEA concentrations were elevated, had a diurnal variation, and were suppressed with dexamethasone administration. We propose that partial adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency is the cause of hirsutism in these women. This may represent an allelic variant at the genetic locus for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency similar to that reported for symptomatic nonclassical 21-hydroxylase deficiency producing peripubertal excess androgen syndrome.

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Hormonal studies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping were performed in 5 males and 13 females who were demonstrated to have 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The enzymatic deficiency of steroidogenesis was detected by family studies of 10 females who presented with varying symptoms of androgen excess. The 10 index cases had normal genitalia at birth, but virilized to varying degrees postnatally. The additional 8 affected family members had not sought medical care, but some were found to have signs of virilization on physical examination, while others were normal. Thus both late-onset (symptomatic) and cryptic asymptomatic) 21-hydroxylase deficiency occurred in the same pedigree. The hormonal and genetic linkage studies indicate that the late-onset (symptomatic) form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency, like the cryptic (asymptomatic) and classical forms of 21-hydroxylase deficiency, is transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene which is linked to HLA-B. Furthermore, the classical form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency associated with prenatal virilization is transmitted by an allelic variant for steroid 21-hydroxylase different from that of the nonclassical forms, late-onset (symptomatic) and cryptic (asymptomatic) 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Although these latter 2 disorders have different clinical manifestations, they demonstrate a similar degree of steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency that is less severe than that observed in classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The hormonal and genetic linkage data indicate that cryptic (asymptomatic) and late-onset (symptomatic) 21-hydroxylase deficiency result from the same allelic variant at the steroid 21-hydroxylase locus. A glossary of terms is presented to describe the various allelic forms of 21-hydroxylase deficiency with consistency.