CHANGES OF URINARY STEROIDS FOLLOWING MAJOR SURGICAL STRESS

Quantitative determinations of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and 17-ketosteroids were made in 12 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis before and 3 weeks to 8 months after pulmonary lobectomy. Fifteen normal males and 5 normal females were used as controls. The urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids of the patients remained almost unchanged several months or more postoperatively but the excretion of urinary 17-ketosteroids showed a gradual and significant decrease in the same period. It was also demonstrated that the ratios of etiocholanolone to androsterone and tetrahydrocortisone+tetrahydrocortisol+cortisol to allotetrahydrocortisol increased significantly following operation, even 6 to 8 months after surgical stress. It is suggested that these findings of urinary steroids following operation may reflect some of the nonspecific metabolic responses to a major surgical stress.