[Sex chromatin and glucocorticoid hormone metabolism in breast cancer patients].

Somatic sex chromatin of blood neutrophyls and the metabolism of glucocorticoid hormones were studied in 20 female patients with the intact ovarian function suffering breast cancer of stage III and in 20 healthy females of the same age. A reliable decrease was found in the number of type A and B processes compared with the control group. The same patients showed the increased nonconjugated 17-OCS in the urine, a decrease in the reduced forms of THF and THE hormones and rising of the cortisol and cortisone level. Breast cancer patients show a higher level of biologically active hormones (cortisol and cortisone), which are likely to influence the amount of somatic sex chromatin under this affection.