STEROID BIOSYNTHESIS IN VITRO BY A VIRILIZING SUPRARENAL TUMOUR
ABSTRACT A case of virilizing adrenal adenoma is described. The tumour was incubated with progesterone-4-14C. In the extract the following steroids were identified chromatographically, in order of decreasing quantity and radioactivity: 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, corticosterone (11β,21 -dihydroxy-pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione), cortisol (11β,17,21-trihydroxy-pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione) and 11-deoxycortisol. This indicates either an increase in 17α-hydroxylation and side chain split, or a partial blockage of 21-hydroxylation, or a combination of both in the tumour tissue. The absence of the 3β-hydroxy-dehydrogenase demonstrated histochemically in the tumour and the examination of the urinary 17-ketosteroids before and after removal of the neoplasm, suggested the same abnormal biosynthetic pattern in vivo with regard to the level of the endogenous Δ5-precursors.