Serum Levels of Total Dehydroepiandrosterone and Total Estrone in Postmenopausal Women with Special Regard to Carcinoma of the Uterine Corpus

Abstract

Serum levels of total dehydroepiandrosterone and total estrone were determined in 18 postmenopausal women with carcinoma of the uterine corpus (stage I, grade 1-3) and in 40 healthy postmenopausal women. Elevated levels of both steroids were found in the carcinoma group, for dehydroepiandrosterone 2010+/-195 vs. 1299+/-117 nM, p less than 0.01, and for estrone 2,38+/-0.24 vs. 1.36+/-0.11 nM, p less than 0.001. Dehydroepiandrosterone as well as the precursors of estrone are almost exclusively of adrenal origin in the postmenopausal woman. Thus these findings indicate a role of the adrenal cortex in the etiology of corpus carcinoma, either by providing increased levels of substrate for the peripheral synthesis of estrone or a direct action of adrenal androgens on the endometrial tissue.

Increased Levels of Adrenocortical and Gonadal Hormones in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

“…The intra-and interassay variation coefficients were 4.5 and 7%, respectively. DHEA, DHEAS, 17-OHP, and androstenedione were analyzed by radioimmunoassay after extraction with diethyl ether [22][23][24]. In the assay of DHEAS, the sulfoconjugate was cleaved by thermal hydrolysis prior to extraction.…”

Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate in Postmenopausal Women: Lack of Influence of Parity

“…The method included hydrolysis of DHAS by autoclaving diluted serum at pH 4.5 and 120°C for 75 min, extraction of liber ated DHA by diethylether and radioimmunoassay using anti-DHA-15P (carboxyethylmercapto)-bovine serum albumin (South West Foundation for Research and Education, San Antonio, Tex., USA) and tritiated DHA tracer. Details of the method have been given in a previous publication [8]. Least detectable DHAS concentration was 200 nA/ and intra-and interassay variations were 8 and 12%, respectively.…”

“…Venous blood samples were taken between 09.00 and 11.00 a.m. and serum was stored at -2 0°C until analysis. Serum DHAS was determined by a modification of the method described by Metcalf [8,13]. The method included hydrolysis of DHAS by autoclaving diluted serum at pH 4.5 and 120°C for 75 min, extraction of liber ated DHA by diethylether and radioimmunoassay using anti-DHA-15P (carboxyethylmercapto)-bovine serum albumin (South West Foundation for Research and Education, San Antonio, Tex., USA) and tritiated DHA tracer.…”

“…In postmenopausal women, these condi tions may be associated with elevated DHAS levels [8][9][10]. We have also demonstrated a close positive correla tion between serum DHAS and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women [11,12], We therefore consid ered it of interest to investigate a possible relationship between parity and DHAS levels in postmenopausal women in a retrospective study.…”

Evaluation of the Possible Interaction of the Antifungal Triazole SCH 39304 with Oral Contraceptives in Normal Healthy Women

“…Serum concentrations of déhydroépiandrostérone (DHA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) and 4-androstene-3,17-dione (A-4) were analyzed after extraction with diethyl ether by radioimmunological methods developed at our department [8][9][10][11], using the antibodies specified by Stege et al [11]. In the DHAS assay, thermal hydrolysis of DHAS preceded the extraction.…”