Steroid hormone metabolism in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To identify whether endogenous steroid hormone metabolism in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is different from that in normal women and the relationship between endogenous steroid hormone metabolites and POP stage.

STUDY DESIGN:

Twenty postmenopausal women who were clinically diagnosed as having POP and 20 volunteer postmenopausal women without prolapse were included in the study. We compared the urinary profiles of endogenous steroids between the two groups and investigated the relationship between urinary profiles of endogenous steroids and degree of prolapse. Urinary profiles of endogenous steroids were assayed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

RESULTS:

The ages of the patients and control group were 64.6 +/- 6.5 and 63.5 +/- 3.9 years, and the body mass index was 23.96 +/- 3.14 and 24.11 +/- 2.73 kg/m2 in patients and normal subjects, respectively. The number of patients were 4 at stage I, 4 at stage II, 6 at stage III and 6 at stage IV. 5-Androstene-3 beta,16 beta,17 beta-triol (5-AT), 11 beta-hydroxy an and 17 beta-estradiol were significantly increased in the POP group as compared with the control group (0.76 +/- 0.67 vs. 0.06 +/- 0.03 mumol/g creatinine, P = .002, 1.16 +/- 0.83 vs. 0.65 +/- 0.23 mumol/g creatinine, P = .04; and 15.08 +/- 9.81 vs. 8.53 +/- 6.19 mumol/g creatinine, P = .04). However, tetrahydrocortisone (THE) was significantly increased in the control group as compared with the patient group (9.80 +/- 6.21 vs. 5.22 +/- 4.89 mumol/g creatinine, P = .04). Androgen metabolites 5-AT and THE significantly correlated with the pelvic organ prolapse quantitation (POP-Q) stage (R = .418; P = .027; R = .46, P = .016). Among the estrogen metabolites, 17 beta-estradiol correlated with POP-Q stage, but not significantly so (R = .38, P = .05), and the 17 beta-estradiol/estrone ratio weakly correlated with stage (R = .14, P = .49).

CONCLUSION:

The metabolites of endogenous steroid hormones could be contributing factors in the pathogenesis of POP.

• Authors: Sang Wook Bai, Byung Hwa Jung, Bong Chul Chung, Sang Un Kim, Jeong Yeon Kim, Koon Ho Rha, Sei Kwang Kim, Ki Hyun Park
• Journal: The Journal of reproductive medicine (J Reprod Med) Vol. 47 Issue 4 Pg. 303-8 (Apr 2002) ISSN: 0024-7758 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12012882 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Gonadal Steroid Hormones
• Steroids

Topics

• Aged
• Body Mass Index
• Female
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
• Gonadal Steroid Hormones (metabolism, urine)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Risk Factors
• Severity of Illness Index
• Steroids (metabolism, urine)
• Uterine Prolapse (etiology, metabolism, urine)