[Cortisol metabolism in diabetes mellitus]

A number of cortizol metabolic indices were examined in 162 patients with moderately severe and severe diabetes mellitus of different duration. The following disturbances of the hormone metabolism which depended on decompensation of the disease were revealed: changes in the rate of cortizol elimination from the circulation, the prevalence of compounds with the oxygroup in the 11th carbon atom, an increase of the urinary excretion of nonconjugated 17-OCS with a relative reduction of excretion of glucoronide fraction and some increase of the sulfate fraction content. Possible causes of the detected disturbances and the informative character of the method of 17-OCS determination in the urine after Silber and Porter in patients with diabetes mellitus are discussed.