The interrelationship between plasma 5-ene adrenal androgens in normal women.

Plasma concentrations of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol (ADIOL) dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay in a group of women aged between 27 and 88 years of age. There was a significant negative correlation with increased age for all three adrenal androgens but not for cortisol. The decrease in adrenal androgens was not related to an excessive divergence from ideal body weight. There was a highly significantly positive correlation between plasma concentrations of all three adrenal androgens which supports a metabolic interrelationship.