Endocrine Abstracts

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a sulfated ester of dehydroepiandrosterone. Studies of large number of males with DHEAS pathology are infrequent.

Objective: To perform an investigation of significance of DHEAS assessment in males of different ages.

Subjects. Methods. Results

We analyzed clinical data of 3533 patient’s (3013 females and 520 males) from DHEAS assessment lists of Vilnius and Kaunas university hospitals. For comparison purposes, a cohort of women was also clinically investigated. DHEAS was assessed 1.6 – 13.5 times more frequently in women than in men. A peak of DHEAS test for women was around 25 years. In males, referrals for DHEAS were uniform during decades, excepting being lower in 0–9 and >75 ages. DHEAS levels in 10- to 24-year-old females were higher than in males. From birth to 9 years and after 45 years, DHEAS was statistically significantly higher in males. Analysis of 491 case records showed low DHEAS in boys, aged 0–9 years and in men, aged 65 – 84. High DHEAS was detected as a peak at around 30 years, but never after 55. Double peak distribution of normal values was evident, with one peak at 10–19 years and a second large peak at 45–64 years. In patients with low DHEAS prevailed congenital adrenal hyperplasia – 31.3%, adrenal tumors (AT) – 29.8% and adrenal insufficiency – 19.3%. High DHEAS prevailed in patients with arterial hypertension – 26.4% and overweight/obesity/hypothalamic dysfunction −18.8%. We found 71 women and 117 men with adrenal tumours (AT). Higher frequency of AT was observed in women around their 30-ties. A peak of AT frequency in men was around 70-ties. We analyzed a list of 3700 consecutive abdominal only and complex abdominal, chest and pelvic computer tomographies (CT) for the age and gender of this examination. Our hypothesis, that referral for CT was much later in men than woman was strongly rejected: peak performance of CT in men and women was the same- between 65 and 74 years of age. In summary, in males, low DHEAS was found in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, AT and adrenal insufficiency. AT were found in elderly and old patients with low or low normal DHEAS. Coincidence of high DHEAS and adrenal tumours was exceptionally rare. In contrary, hypertension and overweight/obesity/hypothalamic dysfunction prevailed in the group of younger patients with high values of DHEAS. This study gives some insight into gender differences of DHEAS secretion in different ages and in adrenal tumours.