Endocrinological Studies of Schizophrenia On the Urinary 17-ketosteroid and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid In the case of normal subjects

Although there are many reports by various investigators concerning to the urinary steroids of schizophrenics, the general agreement is not established yet for the normal value. Prior to the study on urinary steroids of schizophrenics, the author determined the normal values for urinary steroids and also investigated the fluctuation and correlation of free and conjugated forms of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid. The urine specimens were colloected from 18 male and 18 female persons (ranging 18-47 year old of age, the avarage age 26 year old). Measurement was performed on total neutral 17-ketosteroid, total 17-hydroxycorticosteroid and free and conjugated forms of the later. 17-ketosteroid was measured by the modified Koch & Holtorff's method and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid was carried out by Silber-Porter's method. The results obtained were as follows. (Every value shows mean and standard error.) 1) Daily excretion of total 17-ketosteroid was 8.3±0.6 mg/day for male and 5.8±0.4 mg/day for female. The difference between both sexes is thought to be significant from the statistical viewpoint. 2) Daily excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid of male were 6.6±0.4 mg/day as total amount, 1.0±0.1 mg/day as free form and 5.7±0.3 mg/day as conjugated form; that of female were 6.2±0.9 mg/day, as total, 0.8±0.2 mg/day as free form, and 5.4±0.7 mg/day as conjugated form. These obtained values are higher than that of other workers in this country. The difference between sexes is seemed to be insignificant. There was no case on both sexes which had lower ratio than 3.0 in conjugated form/free form and also than 75% in conjugated form/total amount.