Urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and 17-ketosteroid sulfates in normal children and in children with atopic dermatitis or renal disease.

We measured both urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids(17-OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid sulfates(17-KS-S) in normal children and in children with some diseases to evaluate adaptation to stress in children. 17-OHCS and 17-KS-S values were measured in morning urine from 60 normal children(3-18 years old) and 24 children with atopic dermatitis or renal disease. In normal children, the 17-OHCS/creatinine showed no difference by age, but both 17-KS-S/creatinine and 17-KS-S/17-OHCS showed significant positive correlation with age. No sex differences were significant. In children with atopic dermatitis or with renal disease treated with cyclosporine A, 17-OHCS/creatinine was significantly higher and the 17-KS-S/17-OHCS ratio was significantly lower than in age-matched controls. These values returned to normal as the conditions improved or as treatment ended. In patients who underwent renal biopsy, both 17-OHCS/creatinine and 17-KS-S/creatinine values were significantly higher after biopsy than before because of the stress caused by pain and complete bed rest. Measurement of urinary 17-OHCS and 17-KS-S in children can be useful for evaluation of adaptation to stress as well as in adults.