Clinical significance of 17-ketosteroids quantification

17-ketosteroids a group of steroid-derived urinary compounds produced by the adrenal cortex, testes, or ovaries. When 17-ketosteroids increase or decrease, it affects the function of the adrenal cortex.

17-ketosteroids are substances that form when the body breaks down steroid male sex hormones called androgens and other hormones secreted by the adrenal glands in men and women, and by the testes in men. The determination of 17-ketosteroids in the urine is necessary to assess the overall functional activity of the adrenal cortex.

Your doctor will ask you to temporarily stop any medication that may affect the test results. So be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including:
Antibiotics Aspirin (if you're taking aspirin long-term) Birth control pills Diuretics (water pills) Estrogen. Patients are not allowed to take any medicine without the consent of the doctor.
Drugs that can increase the number of 17-ketosteroids include
Antibiotics Chloramphenicol Chlorpromazine Dexamethasone Meprobamate Phenothiazine Quinidin Secobarbital Spironolactone. Medications that can reduce 17-ketosteroids include:
Contraceptives Estrogen Probenecid Reserpine Salicylates (long-term use) Thiazide diuretics.

Your doctor will give you detailed instructions for taking a 24-hour urine sample to measure 17-ketosteroids, the procedure is as follows:
For adults or older children
On day 1, urinate into the toilet after waking up in the morning. Then, urinate in a container for the next 24 hours.
On day 2, urinate into the container after waking up in the morning. Close the lid of the urine container. Keep that container in the refrigerator or a cool place during the collection period.
Label the container with your name, start and end times and dates, and return the container to the medical staff as directed.
For infants
Parents need to wash the area around the child's urethra. Open a urine bag and have your child urinate into it. For boys, place the entire penis in the bag and attach the end of the string to the penis. For females, place the pouch on the labia. Diapers are still used as usual. Newborns have a hard time keeping the bag in place, so can move the bag, causing urine to fall into the diaper. Therefore, parents need to check the infant regularly and change the bag after the infant urinates into the bag. Drain the urine from the bag into the container as directed by the medical staff.

Your doctor may order a quantitative test for 17-ketosteroids if you have signs of a disorder related to abnormal androgen levels. For example, virilization is the development of male sex characteristics secondary to a female's increased androgen production. Hirsutism and virilization are male traits that manifest in female bodies: male pattern hair growth in females; develop acne, female baldness similar to male.

Normal values ​​are as follows:
Men: 8 to 20 mg in 24 hours Female: 6 to 12 mg in 24 hours The range of normal values ​​may vary slightly between different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Therefore, you need to talk to your doctor about what the test results mean.

Increased levels of 17-ketosteroids can be due to:
Adrenal gland problems such as tumors, Cushing's syndrome Sex hormone imbalance in women (polycystic ovary syndrome) Cancer ovarian cancer Testicular cancer Hyperthyroidism Obesity Stress. A decrease in 17-ketosteroids can be caused by:
The adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones (Addison's disease) Damage to the kidneys The pituitary gland does not make enough hormones (hypopituitarism) The testicles are removed. Vinmec International General Hospital is a hospital that owns a team of leading medical professionals, invested in a system of modern technological equipment and stands out for its comprehensive and professional medical examination, consultation and treatment services. . A civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of the test results.

References: Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; owensborohealthse3.adam.com