[Use of chromatographic fractionation of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids for choosing the cortisone acetate dose in treating patients with primary chronic adrenal cortical failure].

To find laboratory criteria reflecting the correction of primary chronic adrenal insufficiency (PCAI) during cortisone acetate therapy 17-hydroxycorticosteroid urinary fractions of 10 patients were compared to those in normal subjects using thin-layer chromatography in silica gel. As no differences were revealed between the urinary levels of hydrocortisone(F), cortisone(E), tetrahydro-II-desoxyhydrocortisone (THT) in PCAI patients treated with cortisone acetate and in normals the author suggested selecting the supportive dosages of cortisone acetate with regard to the assessment of F, E, and THT concentrations (except for the cases of suprarenal crisis). In clinical medicine the assessment of THT levels alone would be quite sufficient.