Characteristics of Metabolism of Glucocorticoid Hormonesin Patients With Pheochromocytoma

Abstract

The article performs analysis of glucocorticoid hormones data and their metabolites in- vestigated by methods of high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography - mass- spectrometry in 47 patients with pheochromocytoma (РНЕО) and 28 patients with hormone-inactive adenoma of the adrenal cortex. We revealed increased blood levels оf biologically active glucocorticoids and elevation of urine excretion of their tetrahydrometabolites in patients with PHEO. 6 patients with PHEO showed biochemical signs of the autonomous cortisol production. A positive correlation of free normetanephrine excretion with blood cortisol, corticosterone and 11-deoxycortisol and urine excretion of tetrahydrometabolites and cortols and a negative correlation with the urine excretion of tetrahydro-11-dehydrocorticosterone were detected. An increase of the THF/THE and (THF+alloTHF+cortol)/ (THE+allo-THE+ cortolone) ratios may indicate a decrease of 11β-hydroxysteroiddehydrogenase type 2 activity in patients with РНЕО.