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Increased 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in a masculinizing adrenal adenoma in a patient with isolated testosterone overproduction
- Source :
- The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 50(3)
- Publication Year :
- 1980
-
Abstract
- The patient studied had noted the onset of virilization shortly after menopause. Urinary 17-ketosteroid levels were normal, as were fractionated 17-ketosteroid levels by gas liquid chromatography, but for 3 yr, serum testosterone levels had been greater than 490 ng/dl. The ovaries were found to be normal by laparoscopy. Abdominal exploration revealed a 1-cm adenoma in the right adrenal. A part of the adenoma excised from our patient was homogenized and incubated with 5 microCi [14C]androstenedione. Five percent of the 14C was converted by the tumor homogenate to a metabolite with the same mobility as testosterone on LH-20 chromatography. After thin layer chromatography, the radiolabeled material together with 3H-labeled authentic testosterone were crystallized to a constant specific activity. The net rate of testosterone synthesis by the tumor was 26 pmol/mg wet tissue wt.h vs. 0.56 pmol/mg.h by a control adrenal homogenate. Thus, the tumor demonstrated a 50-fold increase in 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity compared to normal adrenal tissue. This is the first report to identify altered activity of a specific enzyme system in this syndrome of isolated adrenal testosterone overproduction.
- Subjects :
- Adenoma
medicine.medical_specialty
17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Metabolite
Clinical Biochemistry
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms
Biochemistry
chemistry.chemical_compound
Endocrinology
Internal medicine
medicine
Adrenal adenoma
Humans
Testosterone
Androstenedione
Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
Aged
Virilization
Biochemistry (medical)
medicine.disease
Virilism
Menopause
chemistry
Female
medicine.symptom
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 0021972X
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f6bc64b11b2550f83ce0135521e756db