TREATMENT WITH HIGH DOSES OF ESTROGENS AND ANDROGENS INDUCES MARKED CHANGES NOT ONLY ON GONADAL AND ADRENAL STEROIDS AND THEIR BINDING GLOBULINS BUT ALSO ON THE THYROID HORMONES AND ON THYROXIN BINDING GLOBULIN

Abstract

Little is known about the influence of high doses of sexual steroids on other hormones and their binding globulins. We studied 28 children treated for tall stature: 14 boys treated with 500 mg testosterone oenanthate every two weeks; 14 girls treated with 0.5 mg ethinyestradiol from day 1 to 25 and 15 mg norethisterone day 20 to 25. Results boys: TBG reduced (19.03 ± 0.9 (SE) mg/1), T4 and T4/TBG-ratio markedly reduced (51.4 ± 6.4 (SE) ug/1 and 2.65 ± 0.25 (SE)). T3 variable, basal TSH levels and TSH-rise in TRH-test normal. Cortisol normal, CBG slightly reduced and C/CBG-ratio slightly increased. SHBG levels markedly reduced and T/SHBG-ratio extensively increased. Results girls: TBG markedly increased (36.6 ± 2.3 (SE) mg/1) but T4 only slightly elevated (94.9 ± 7.4 (SE)), reduction of the T4/TBG-ratio (2.55 ± 0.17 (SE)). T3 variable, TSH in TRH-test normal. Cortisol and CBG increased, but C/CBG-ratio unchanged. T increased slightly, SHBG increased markedly, T/SHBG decreased distinctly. We conclude that high doses of sexual steroids induce profound changes in hormone levels which are either compensated or aggravated by simultaneous changes of their binding globulins.