Hormonal aspects of human gout--excretion of adrenal hormone derivatives in gouty patients.

Forty-seven patients with gout, 28 of whom had not previously been treated with allopurinol, and 25 normal subjects, were examined for 24-h urinary excretion of the most important adrenal steroid derivatives. Results were submitted to statistical analysis and several variables have been taken in consideration. The untreated patients showed significantly higher values of uricemia, urinary uric acid, triglycerides, slightly higher values of androsterone, 11-oxo-androsterone + 11-oxo-etiocholanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and slightly lower values of 11-hydroxyandrosterone and pregnanetriol, in comparison to normal subjects. The different hormonal pattern seems to discriminate between patients with gout and normal subjects.