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Increased Total 7 -Hydroxy-Dehydroepiandrosterone in Serum of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

1998; Oxford University Press; Volume: 53A; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/gerona/53a.2.b125

1758-535X

Sandrine Attal-Khémis, Vincent Dalmeyda, J.-L. Michot, M. Roudier, Robert Morfin,

Hormonal and reproductive studies

Evidence has indicated that circulating adrenal steroid quantitites were significantly changed in patients with Alzlieimer's disease (AD). Aside of 3β-sulfatation and 3β-acylations, levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) result from production and metabolic transformation yields. 7α-Hydroxylation of DHEA has been described in humans, and 7α-hydroxy-DHEA may be responsible for the known antiglucocorticoid effects of DHEA. Using a negative ion fragmentometry method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry on trifluoroacetate derivatives, we measured levels of free 7α-hydroxy-DHEA as well as its sulfated conjugate and its fatty acid esters in serum of 10 female patients with AD and of 8 age-matched healthy control women. Free 7α-hydroxy-DHEA levels in AD and controls were not significantly different (240.2 ± 37.2 pg/ml and 206.8 ± 21.6 pg/ml, respectively), but sulfate conjugate levels were significantly increased in AD (p = .01) (262 ±28.4 and 145.4 ± 27.6, respectively) as well as fatty acid esters (p = .041) (65.7 ± 6.9 and 40.7 ± 9.2, respectively). These results indicated that the total 7α-hydroxy-DHEA produced was significantly increased in AD (p = .024) and may contribute to the disease-related disturbances of DHEA production and metabolism.