Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0001430 (adenoma)
 21,222 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Plasma levels of the delta5-pregnenes, pregenolone and 17-OH-pregnenolone, were measured in patients with disordered steroidogenesis. While 17-OH-pregnenolone was within the normal range in patients with hypercortisolemia due to Cushing's disease, ectopic ACTH or adrenal adenrenal adenoma, 4 of 6 patients with an adrenal carcinoma had elevated levels of this precursor. Thus, elevated plasma 17-OH-pregnenolone levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome indicate adrenal carcinoma, although a normal value does not exclude this diagnosis. Abnormal resistance of delta5-pregnenes to suppression with dexamethasone proved useful in detecting the presence of residual tumor in the post-operative evaluation of adrenal carcinoma. Basal plasma pregnenolone was within the normal range in 19 of 20 patients with Cushing's disease and was invariably normal in patients with other varieties of hypercortisolism. Since acute administration of ACTH causes marked elevation of delta5-pregnene levels while patients with chronic ACTH excess (Cushing's disease and ectopic ACTH production) have normal levels, it is suggested that ACTH has a chronic influence on the intraadrenal utilization of delta5-pregnenes in addition to stimulating their formation. In pre-menopausal women with idiopathic hirsutism, basal levels of both delta5-pregnenes were elevated (P less than 0.001). Following dexamethasone administration the absolute decrease in delta5-pregnenes levels was greater than that seen in normal subjects. This observation indicates that the metabolism of delta5-pregnenes is abnormal in patients with idiopathic hirsutism.
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PMID:Plasma pregnenolone and 17-OH-pregnenolone in patients with adrenal tumors, ACTH excess, or idiopathic hirsutism. 19 Feb 51

Slices of an adreno-cortical adenoma which had been obtained at operation from an 11-year-old girl with clinical signs of virilism were incubated with each of the following steroids: [1,2-3H]progesterone, [4-14C]pregnenolone, [1,2-3H]testosterone, [4-14C]androstenedione and [7-3H]dehydroepiandrosterone, respectively. Isolation and identification of the free radioactive metabolites were achieved by gel column chromatography on Sephadex LH-20, thin-layer chromatography, radio gas chromatography and isotope dilution. After incubation of progesterone, the following metabolites were identified: 11beta-hydroxyprogesterone, 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 21-deoxycortisol, corticosterone and cortisol. Pregnenolone was metabolized to 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione. When testosterone was used as substrate, 11beta-hydroxytestosterone, androstenedione and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione were found as metabolites, whereas androstenedione was metabolized to testosterone and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione. After incubation of dehydroepiandrosterone, only androstenedione and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione were isolated and identified. From these results, it appears that cortisol was formed in the adenoma tissue via 21-deoxycortisol and corticosterone. Delta4-3oxo steroids of the C19-series arose exclusively from pregnenolone via 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone, and not from progesterone and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Calculated on the amounts of metabolites formed, the highest enzyme activities were those of the 11beta-hydroxylase and the 17alpha-hydroxylase. It is interesting to note that only traces of testosterone were detected after incubation of androstenedione, whereas testosterone yielded large amounts of androstenedione.
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PMID:Studies on the metabolism of steroid hormones in a virilizing adrenal cortex adenoma. 21 78