Altered urinary profiles of endogenous steroids in postmenopausal women with adenocarcinoma endometrii.

Objective. The potential role of androgen metabolism as co-factors in the development of carcinoma endometrii was investigated.Design. The urinary concentration of 23 androgen, progesterone and corticoid metabolites was quantitatively determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with selected ion-monitoring. We obtained 24-h urine samples from 13 patients with adenocarcinoma endometrii and from 10 age-matched normal female subjects. In the course of the urinary steroid determination, we observed changes in the steroid profiles in the disease examined compared to the same age and same sex control group. Profiling urinary steroids has to give comprehensive information about the synthesis of steroids including the glandular and peripheral steroid metabolisms.Results. The concentrations of 16-hydroxy- dehydroepiandrosterone, pregnanediol and pregnenediol were not significantly different in the two groups. The concentrations of androsterone, etiocholanolone, 11β-hydroxy-androsterone, 11β-hydroxy-etiochol...