Urinary 17-Hydroxycorticosteroid Levels in Parents of Children with Neoplastic Disease

Urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) excretion rates were determined in 43 subjects, representing one or both parents of 26 children with neoplastic disease. Twentynine of the parents were admitted for study to a National Institute of Mental Health ward while their children were hospitalized; 14 parents lived at home and were studied on an “outpatient” basis. In this situation of chronic psychological stress, repeated determinations on each parent showed that the 17-OHCS level tended to remain within a relatively constricted range, even when the parent was exposed to superimposed acute stress. The subjects were ranked according to their relative corticosteroid excretion rates, and adrenal cortical activity was hypothesized to be related to the effectiveness of the individual's coping behavior. The group data showed slight, but statistically significant, elevations at the time the parents were first admitted to the ward and when psychological stress was judged to be maximal. A statistically significant sex difference was observed, with mean values for the fathers and mothers of 7.3lmg./24 hr. and 5.0 mg./24 hr., respectively.