A comparative study of steroid concentrations in human adipose tissue and the peripheral circulation

Using radioimmunological methods, levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, oestrogens (oestradiol + oestrone), progesterone and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone were determined in adipose tissue and peripheral blood obtained during surgical treatment of patients with non-endocrine diseases. The steroid content of human adipose tissue was observed to be extremely high relative to that in the general circulation, giving a tissue/serum ratio of 0.4 to 13.2. The concentration of steroids decreased in the following order: dehydroepiandrosterone greater than cortisol greater than androstenedione greater than progesterone greater than testosterone greater than 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone greater than oestradiol + oestrone. This sequence is different from that found in blood. When anthropometric variables were taken into consideration, the adipose tissue mass of severely obese subjects contained a steroid pool far greater than that in the total blood volume.