Studies on the Urinary 17-Ketosteroids in the Urogenital Disturbances I. Clinical Studies on the Urinary 17-Ketosteroids in the Patients with Genital Disturbances

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of urinary 17-ketosteroid was under t a ken in 34 normal healthy males whose ages ranged between 5 and 79 years and in 103 patients with genital dysfunction and diseases of urinary tract whose ages ranged between 5 and 83 years. It has been found that the amount of 17-KS excreted in urine seemed to be parallel to the level of male sex hormone. 1) In normal healthy males urinary 17-KS level was increased as age increased up to 20 years old at which peak level was 13.26 mg/day (7.24-19.84 mg/day) and there after the level decreased. There was no correlation between the amount of urine and the level of urinary 17-KS. 2) In the pat i e nts with diseases of the kidney, ureter, bladder, urethra, testicle, epididymis, and seminal vesicle the level of urinary 17-KS was generally lowered, but was still within normal range. In the patients with vesical disturbance the level was especially lowered and definite low level was observed in the patients with prostatitis. 3) Generally the level was lowered in the patients with prostatic hy p ertrophy and cancer. 4) The level was lowered in male sterility, cryptorchism and eunuchoidism, and was within normal range or slightly lowered in hyporchidism and impotence. The levels in the other diseases were as follows ; i) Urinary 17-KS was much low er in the cases with damage of the interstitial tissue of the testicle than in the case with damage of the seminiferous tubule. ii) Markedly lowered level was observed in the juvenile type on vesiculography. iii) It has been suggested that there was a certain correlation bet ween seminal fluid and urinary 17-KS. iv) There was no correlation between the amount of fructose in seminal fluid and urinary 17-KS. v) I t has been suggested that there was a certain correlation between adrenocortical function and urinary 17-KS