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AbstractBackground/Objectives: The responses of metaphyseal bone tissue to physiological variations of endogenous adrenal steroid hormones during childhood are unclear. Therefore, we studied potential hormonal influences in children before the appearance of pubic hair (onset of pubarche). Methods: Excretions of major glucocorticoid metabolites (C21), cortisol, sum of adrenarchal dehydroepiandrosterone and its immediate 16-hydroxylated metabolites (DHEA&M), and 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol (hermaphrodiol) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study in 24-hour urine samples of 109 healthy boys and girls, aged 6–13 years, using steroid profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total and trabecular volumetric bone mineral densities, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone strength strain index were determined with peripheral quantitative computed tomography at the distal forearm. Results: In multiple regression analyses significant associations with the metaphyseal radius were seen for grip force, age, or BMI depending on gender and bone variable analyzed. DHEA&M did not contribute to the explanation of the variance of any bone variable. However, hermaphrodiol positively explained a significant part of variation of bone mineral densities, and BMC (p < 0.01) in girls. Significantly negative associations with all bone variables were seen in boys for cortisol. Conclusions: The steroid hormones, cortisol and hermaphrodiol, in their physiological ranges, but not the adrenarche marker DHEA&M, appear to associate with metaphyseal bone in a sex-dependent manner during childhood.Copyright © 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Using a 4-step scheme, we have synthesized deuterium-labelled 17α-hydroxypregnenolone for use as internal standard for an isotope dilution/mass spectrometry plasma assay. 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone served as starting material. Its 17α-hydroxygroup was protected by tetrahydropyranylation. Introduction of deuterium by base-catalyzed enolization and protection of the 3-hydroxygroup by acetate formation yielded [2,2,4,21,21,21-²H6]3β,17α-dihydroxypregna-3,5-diene-20-one 3-acetate 17-tetrahydro-pyranyl ether. After reductive deuteration of the 3-ene and removal of the protecting groups [2,2,4,4,21,21,21-²H7] 17α-hydroxypregnenolone was obtained. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.