DHT has been called the “principal prostatic androgen.”36 Levels of this hormone remain fairly constant with age, in spite of a decrease in plasma testosterone. The levels of this hormone are not elevated in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Read MoreConcentrations of DHEA peak around age 30 and decline with age. The serum values have a circadian variation, and may vary during the menstrual cycle, which prompts some to suggest that DHEA-S to be a better clinical marker (longer half-life, no circadian variation)
Read MoreElevated serum levels of this hormone are important in only a few diseases that involve enzymatic deficiencies, generalized adrenal hyperfunction, or direct adrenal tumor production, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to CYP11B1 and 17alpha-hydroxylase deficiencies.
Read MoreIn 11 beta-hydroxylase 1 (CYP11B1) deficiency, serum concentrations of cortisol will be low (usually <7 microgram/dL for a morning draw). 11-Deoxycortisol and 11-deoxycorticosterone are elevated, usually to at least 2 to 3 times (more typically 20 to 300 times) the upper limit of the normal reference range on a morning blood draw....
Read MoreMeasuring free cortisol and cortisone are used to determine low-renin hypertension via apparent mineralocorticoid excess. A genetic defect (11HSDB2) or acquired enzyme inhibitor (e.g. glycyrrhizic acid [from natural licorice]) may be to blame.
Read MoreThis test is often used to evaluate the “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and pituitary ACTH reserve. 11-deoxycortisol is the immediate precursor and follows the same catabolic pathways as cortisol. This test can also be used to diagnose congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), an inherited/genetic condition caused by deficiency in the CYP11B1 gene (for 11-beta-hydroxylase). The deficiency is an autosomal recessive trait, associated with low-renin hypertension, hypokalemia, excess androgens (androstenedione, especially), and genital ambiguity in females.
Read MoreCortisol is a glucocorticoid steroid secreted by the adrenal gland. It plays a key role in glucose metabolism and stress response. ACTH – or adrenocorticotropic hormone is synthesized by the pituitary gland in response to the hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). In normal patients, a negative feedback loop in the form of cortisol levels in the blood will inhibit production of CRH and ACTH (this is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis).
Read MoreElevated levels of this hormone indicate increased adrenal, ovarian or testicular production, and may indicate: adrenal tumor, adrenal cancer, adrenal hyperplasia, congenital adrenal hyperplasia but further testing is needed for a diagnosis.
Read MoreNormal serum levels of aldosterone are dependent on the sodium intake and whether the patient is upright or supine. High sodium intake will tend to suppress serum aldosterone, whereas low sodium intake will elevate serum aldosterone. The reference intervals for serum aldosterone are based on normal sodium intake
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