The urinary excretion of glucosiduronates of cortisol and cortisone.

ABSTRACT

Cortisol and cortisone glucosiduronic acids were synthesised in a 14C-labelled from and utilised in a double-isotope derivative procedure for the analysis of cortisol glucosiduronate (FG) and cortisone glucosiduronate (EG) in human urine. Normal adults were found to excrete between 16 and 100 mug/24 h of FG (n = 14) and between 55 and 120 mug/24 h of EG (n = 15). Elevated values were observed in subjects with Cushing's syndrome and following ACTH stimulation. Abnormal excretion was noted in one patient with hepatic cirrhosis and in one case of cholestatic jaundice. The ratio FG/EG was markedly increased after ACTH stimulation and, in the normal group, was positively correlated to a highly significant degree (P less than 0.001) with FG excretion. These two observations suggest that EG excretion is less sensitive than FG excretion to variations in cortisol production.