Management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia using serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations

Abstract

Simultaneous serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) were compared with urinary 17-ketosteroid (17-KS) and pregnanetriol (PT) excretion during therapy in 18 prepubertal patients with the 21-hydroxylase deficiency form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Patients were classified into those in good, poor, or questionable control on the basis of clinical examination, skeletal age, and 17-KS and PT excretion. During therapy, use of serum steroid concentrations was found to be nearly as accurate in judging adequacy of control as use of urine steroid concentrations. Of 34 evaluations, a definite assessment of adequacy of control could be arrived at 25 times using urinary values and 22 times using both serum DHEA-S and 17-OHP concentrations. DHEA-S concentration responded sluggishly when treatment was not adequate, being greater than 100 microgram/dl only in patients significantly undertreated. It was never elevated in well-controlled patients. Mid-afternoon 17-OHP concentrations were less than 200 ng/dl in well-controlled patients but readily escaped suppression and could not be used to differentiate poor from borderline control or from temporary noncompliance. Therefore, an increases DHEA-S concentration indicated poor control and a suppressed 17-OHP concentration indicated good control. The combination of normal DHEA-S level with elevated 17-OHP level, however, did not permit exact evaluation of the degree of control. Of significance is that not all patients with CAH present with an elevated DHEA-S concentration, and only in those in whom an elevated level has been documented can DHEA-S level be used as an index of control during therapy.