Steroid metabolism in obese children. I. The relationship between body composition and adrenal function

The relationship between anthropometric data and urinary excretion of steroids measured by gas chromatography was examined in 31 obese and 25 normal weight children. The children were assorted to eight groups according to their pubertal index (Tanner), gender and weight. There was a trend for higher daily excretion in obese children than in non-obese ones; the differences were greatly reduced when the excretion rate was calculated for body weight. Correlation was sought between the body weight at one hand and the excretion of certain steroid groups like C21O5 corticoid metabolites and compounds representing the androgen line, androsterone (A) plus ethiocholanolone (E) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA), at the other hand. While in normal children these parameters were intercorrelated, no correlation could be shown in obese children. In them, no differences in the correlation coefficients were found whether the steroid excretion rates were compared with body weight, body surface or body mass index (BMI). A relationship between the weight related to ideal weight and the excretion of cortisol metabolites was demonstrated in both sexes; for androgen excretion only in boys already in puberty. For all nine steroid compounds determined in this study, there was a stronger correlation between the excretion rate and the anthropometric findings in the prepubertal groups than in children with signs of puberty. The changes demonstrated in this study point to certain alterations of the adrenal function of obese children but no marked disturbances in their steroid metabolism can be expected.