Preliminary Investigations Into the Nature of Neutral 17-Ketosteroids in Human Plasma*

ALTHOUGH the quantitative and qualitative pattern of neutral 17-ketosteroids in the urine of normal individuals has been fairly well established, until recently, little has been known of these substances in the human blood. Gardner (1) has described a method for their determination in human plasma. He reported that adult males have levels of from 40 to 130 μg. per 100 ml. of plasma. Migeon and Plager (2), by means of paper chromatography, have isolated and identified dehydroepiandrosterone from human plasma. Another compound in smaller amounts was isolated, which was thought to be androsterone and/or etiocholanolone. The study to be reported was undertaken in an attempt to define more clearly the pattern of neutral 17-ketosteroids in human plasma. A large volume of plasma was extracted so that there would be enough steroidal material for fractionation by means of column chromatography and identification by definitive means. This communication deals with a description and the results of such a study.