Table 8 Comparison of neurosteroid availability and levels in normal pituitary tissues and pituitary adenoma tissues between female and male subjects.

From: Comparative analysis of neurosteroid levels in normal and adenomatous human pituitary tissue

 

Normal pituitary tissue

Pituitary adenoma

Female (n = 8)

Male (n = 11)

p

Female (n = 40)

Male (n = 34)

p

PREG

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

17 (43%)

24 (71%)

0.02

Level**

16.6 [7.9–32.5]

3.4[2.6–6.1]

0.001

40.3 [3.4-143.3]

105.2 [49.6-206.7]

0.1

7αOHPREG

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

26 (65%)

27 (79%)

0.2

Level**

13.4 [7.6–22]

18.4 [7.2–29.9]

0.4

88.1 [15.2-197.1]

34.6 [14.2–79.4]

0.1

17OHPREG

-

-

-

-

-

-

DHEA

Availability*

7 (88%)

7 (64%)

0.2

32 (80%)

27 (79%)

0.9

Level**

7.7 [6.2–14.5]

11.1 [3.1–15.2]

1

13.4 [7.5–32.8]

9.2 [4.9–23.4]

0.1

DHEAS

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

40 (100%)

33 (97%)

0.3

Level**

170 [95.3-367.8]

139.1 [70.4-210.8]

0.5

30.5 [13.4–52.4]

20.8 [6.9–54.6]

0.4

AE

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

18 (45%)

21 (62%)

0.2

Level**

1.9 [0.9–4.6]

0.6 [0.4–1.1]

0.02

0.9 [0.3–1.3]

0.9 [0.5–2.6]

0.4

T

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

14 (35%)

26 (77%)

< 0.001

Level**

0.7 [0.4–1.4]

1.5 [0.8–1.8]

0.1

0.9 [0.5–1.6]

0.7 [0.5–1.3]

0.4

DHT

Availability*

5 (63%)

5 (46%)

0.5

1 (3%)

3 (9%)

0.2

Level**

0.8 [0.7–0.9]

0.7 [0.4–1.1]

0.3

3.3

75.7 [0.5-]

1

E2

-

-

-

-

-

-

Androsterone

Availability

8 (100%)

10 (91%)

0.4

22 (55%)

20 (61%)

0.6

Level**

4.1[2.5–5.7]

4.5 [2.3–5.9]

0.8

17.1 [4.8–44.3]

7.3 [1.7–31.7]

0.2

PRG

Availability*

7 (88%)

8 (73%)

0.4

5 (13%)

2 (6%)

0.3

Level**

0.6 [0.5–1.4]

0.2 [0.1–0.3]

0.001

0.9 [0.4–6.3]

1.2 [0.4-]

0.9

ALLO

-

-

-

-

-

-

DOC

Availability*

6 (75%)

2 (18%)

0.01

13 (33%)

9 (27%)

0.6

Level**

0.5 [0.4-1]

0.21 [0.2-]

0.07

0.6 [0.4–1.2]

0.4 [0.3–0.6]

0.3

Corticosterone

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

7 (18%)

8 (24%)

0.5

Level**

16.1[5.3–22.6]

2.1 [0.8–13.5]

0.06

0.9 [0.4–4.2]

0.4 [0.3–0.6]

1

Aldosterone

Availability*

4 (50%)

1 (9%)

0.05

-

2 (6%)

0.1

Level**

0.6 [0.4–1.2]

0.23

0.4

-

0.7 [0.4-]

-

17OHPRG

Availability*

6 (75%)

10 (91%)

0.3

8 (20%)

6 (18%)

0.8

Level**

1.4 [0.2-2]

0.2 [0.1–0.3]

0.03

0.8 [0.6–1.3]

0.9 [0.4–5.1]

0.9

11 Deoxycortisol

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

-

40 (100%)

34 (100%)

-

Level**

2.6 [0.9–10.6]

0.8 [0.5–1.4]

0.009

1.5 [0.9–3.5]

1.1 [0.7–1.7]

0.05

Cortisol

Availability*

8 (100%)

11 (100%)

0.4

37 (93%)

33 (97%)

0.1

Level**

82.9 [23.2–323]

23.9 [8-74.6]

0.1

6.7 [3.7–13.2]

3.9 [1.9–7.8]

0.07

  1. Statistically significant p values are shown in bold.
  2. * n (%) ** ng/g, Levels presented as median and interquartile range [IQR].
  3. PA pituitary adenoma, NPT normal pituitary tissue, PREG pregnenolone, -7α-Hydroxypregnenolone, 17OHPREG 17-Hydroxypregnenolone, DHEA Dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEAS dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, AE-4 Androstene 3,17-dione, T Testosterone, DHT dihydrotestosterone, E2 estradiol, PRG progesterone, ALLO allopregnanolone, DOC 11deoxycorticosterone, 17OHPRG 17Hydroxyprogesterone.
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